THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST - DRAdra.org.au/371/images/DRA-201604-ReservistApr.pdfTHE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST 1 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST - April 2016 (Official Journal of the Defence Reserves

THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST

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THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST - April 2016(Official Journal of the Defence Reserves Association)

ISSN 1835-694X CONTENTS

DRA Office Bearers XX

From the President XX

The Orchard and Big Sky Publishing Prize for Best Articles XX

Call for Contributions and Membership Enquiries XX

Modernisation and Army Reserve Force Posture - CAPT Michael Trainor 3X

Serving with the Colorado Army National Guard - MAJ Stuart Cumming 3X

XX Leadership, XY Leadership or just good Leadership - CAPT Louise Broadfoot 3X

Full Circle - COL Michael Bond 3X

Reflections on Contemporary Service - MAJ Sally Heidenreich 4X

A World of Opportunity at Headquarters 1 Division - MAJ Adam Christensen 3X

Muslim Participation in WW I - MAJ Kevin Walsh (Retd) 2X

11 BDE Soldiers win MILSKILS Trophy - CAPT William Heck & PTE Julia Whitwell 1X

A Soldier at Sea - Deploying on Operation Resolute - LCPL Aaron Hayhurst 1X

Working with the NZDF Chaplaincy Team - CPL Natalie Eagles 2X

Trans-Tasman Cooperation enhances Investigative Services - FLLT Nicholas O’Connor 1X

My Kapooka VIP Challenge 2015 Experience - Mr. Wes Allen 1X

A Tour of ANZAC Cove April 2015 - Mr. John Bradbury 2X

Book Review: “Memoirs of an ANZAC” - reviewed by LTCOL John Boyce (Retd) 1X

Book Review: “PNGVR: A History 1950 - 1973” - reviewed by LTCOL John Morkham (Redt) 1X

Vale - Brigadier Keith Rossi 1X

Presentations from the 2015 DRA National Conference

Total Force Fact or Fiction : The Government view - Senator David Fawcett 3X

Total Force Fact or Fiction : The Opposition view - David Feeney MP 3X

The views and opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the DRA or the Department of Defence. Contributions and comments or queries regarding the content of the DRA Journal should be directed to the Editor at email: [email protected] or post to PO Box 88, Briar Hill, Victoria 3088.The Journal is published by arrangement with Ontime Publications. Enquiries regarding advertising should be directed to Steve Moxey Mob. 0400473200 or Ph. 02 9643 8314 or via email: [email protected]

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DEFENCE RESERVES ASSOCIATIONwww.dra.org.au

NATIONAL EXECUTIVENational President: MAJGEN Paul Irving AM PSM RFD

Immediate Past President: MAJGEN Jim Barry AM MBE RFD EDDeputy-President: MAJGEN Ian Flawith AO CSC

Vice President Navy: CAPT Joseph Lukaitis RFD RANR Vice President Army: MAJGEN Neil Wilson AM RFD

Vice President Air Force: GPCAPT Carl Schiller OAM CSMVice Pres. Def Health: MAJGEN Jeffrey Rosenfeld AM OBE CStJ

National Treasurer: COL Jenny Cotton National Secretary: MAJ Elizabeth Bedggood

email: [email protected]

Editorial Committee: CMDR Peter Hicks RFD RANRLTCOL Ian George OAM RFD ED LTCOL John Morkham RFDLTCOL Neville Taylor RFD LTCOL Stefan Landherr RFD

MAJ Elizabeth Bedggood SQNLDR Mike Dance PO Box 88, Briar Hill VIC 3088

email: [email protected]

STATE EXECUTIVES NEW SOUTH WALES

President: COL Graham Fleeton RFD Treas: LTCOL Catherine Lewis psc RFD

Sec: WO1 Warren Barnes OAMPO BOX 1065, Singleton NSW 2330

VICTORIA President: BRIG Peter Alkemade RFD

Treas: LTCOL Bruce McClure RFD Sec: WO2 David Hardacre PO Box 88, Briar Hill VIC 3088

SOUTH AUSTRALIAPresident: MAJGEN Neil Wilson AM RFD Sec/Treas: LTCOL Stefan Landherr RFD

20 Grevillea Drive, Banksia Park SA 5091

WESTERN AUSTRALIAPresident: LTCOL Dick Cook AM RFD

Treas: BRIG Duncan Warren AM RFD Sec: CPL David Cooper 21 Wattle Street, South Perth WA 6151

TASMANIA President: COL Stephen Carey RFD

Treas: MAJ Richard James Sec: MAJ Malcolm McWilliams GPO Box 729, Hobart TAS 7001

QUEENSLANDPresident: COL Jenny Cotton

Treas: MAJ Peter Jenkins Sec: MAJ Trevor Herrod C/- CAG-NR Victoria Barracks, Petrie Terrace, Brisbane QLD 4000

NORTHERN TERRITORYPresident: COL Jeff Dunn CSM RFD

Sec / Treas: MAJ Jim Wright PO Box 1091, Darwin NT 0801

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FROM THE PRESIDENTIn the July 2014 discussion paper on the proposed 2015 Defence White Paper (DWP), we were advised that the Government was seeking the Australian community’s views on what defence capabilities we need now and in the future. Specifically, the DWP was to tackle key capability questions, including what is the optimum use of Reserve forces. The DWP consultation paper indicated that the DWP would need to ensure an appropriate set of roles and missions was defined for Reserve forces, that these roles and missions were achievable given levels of reserve training, and that Reserve forces were adequately equipped in a cost effective way.

In response to these questions the DRA, the Defence Reserves Support Council and other organisations, made detailed submissions on the optimum use of Reserve forces for consideration as part of the DWP process.

It was extremely disappointing that when the DWP was finally released on 25 February 2016, the importance of these submissions had been completely ignored and DWP 2016 made no recommendations about the use of

Reserve forces. DWP 2016 included just three paragraphs on the use of the Reserves (paragraphs 6.12 to 6.14).

While we will never know why the people who were tasked with preparing the DWP ignored the submissions on use of the Reserves, I suspect that this outcome was caused by neglect over the long gestation period involved in preparation of the DWP, rather than the Services including consideration of the Reserves in every capability decision.

In consideration of the outcome of the DWP process, we have decided that the theme for the 2016 DRA National Conference will be “DWP 2016 – Challenges and Opportunities for the Reserve Forces as part of the ADF”. The 2016 DRA National Conference will be held for the first time in Brisbane on Saturday 27 August 2016 at the historic United Service Club, 183 Wickham Terrace. The aim of the conference will be to examine how each Service proposes to maximise the use of the Reserves as part of the ADF. As in previous years, we will be inviting a range of interesting speakers and the Governor of Queensland will be asked to open the Conference. Details of the 2016 National Conference are in the enclosed flyer and on the web site - www.dra.org.au

For some time, the DRA has been extremely concerned with the rapidly declining numbers in the ARes. I met recently with MAJGEN Porter, Commander of the 2nd Division who has been tasked by the Chief of Army to examine the recruiting and retention problems facing the ARes and to make recommendations to resolve these problems. I was heartened by the discussions and that all road blocks from enlistment, to recruit training through to initial employment training, including the length of courses, were being reviewed with a view to streamlining the recruitment process and to improve retention. This problem is now decades old and arose out of the imposition of a centralised and highly bureaucrat recruiting system on the ARes. There is no easy fix to this issue and any solution will take considerable time and resources.

At the 2015 National Conference, we were advised that a detailed review of the Naval Reserves would be undertaken. The DRA has been critical of the state of the Standby Reserve in the three Services, particularly in the RAN. A recent review of the RAN’s standby Reserve found that a number of members were deceased and contact details of around 90% of Standby Reservists were incorrect.

In response to the review of the Naval Reserve, the DRA made a detailed submission that made five recommendations aimed at enhancing the use of the RANR and to address the cultural change within the RAN to achieve integrated equality between permanent members of the RAN and RANR members. Importantly, the DRA submission highlighted that communication tools are essential for engagement of the RANR. Recently, the Deputy Chief of Navy has issued instructions that all RANR members must register on ForceNet to improve communications, to be a useful repository of information and to become an important enabler for RANR workforce management. The DRA submission, which was prepared by CAPT Joe Lukiatis, DRA National Vice President (Navy), is available on the DRA website.

COL Lee Long, Honorary Colonel of 1/15 Royal NSW Lancers, raised the issue of the role, training and platforms for Armoured Corps (RAAC) Reservists at the last two national Conferences. In consultation with COs, he prepared an options paper aimed at enhancing the role of RAAC Reservists and to address the wide divergence that exists between the RAAC ARA and Reserve components. The paper emphasised that the RAAC Reservists must be trained in core mounted and dismounted RAAC skills. This paper was discussed at a recent meeting with MAJGEN Porter proir to him repoerting back to the Chief of Army’s Advisory Committee. There appears to be acceptance that we need to train RAAC Reservists on appropriate platforms if we are to cover capability gaps in the Regular Army.

Despite political advice emanating from the 2015 National DRA Conference that the proposed amendments to the Defence Reserves Service (Protection) Act 2001 were moving through the “system” and should be considered by Parliament in the ‘autumn’ session (early 2015), this did not happen. Further, there is still no indication when the amendments will be considered by Parliament. Whilst it took Defence 12 months to endorse the findings of the July 2008 Garde review into the Protection Act, it is an indictment on both major political parties that more than seven years later these relatively non-controversial amendments, which should receive bi-partisan support, have still not been considered by Parliament. This is another indication of the lack of priority given by Government and Opposition to Reserve issues.

Regrettably, once again, only one Reservist received recognition in the Australia Day Honours List for their Reserve service and that was LTCOL Robert Brennan. This outcome is very disappointing and is something that I will be taking up with the Service Chiefs.

The Hon Michael McCormack, Member for the Riverina has been appointed Assistant Minister for Defence in the recent round of Ministerial appointments – he is our third Assistant Minister in less than a year. Air Commodore Robert (Bob) Rodgers, AM CSM will assume the appointment of DGRES-AF in early June 2016 which is good news as there have been a series of acting appointments in this important role over recent years.

With my best wishes.

Paul Irving

National President

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MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIESThe Defence Reserves Association is a tri-service organisation with the aim of supporting the Australian Defence Force and, in particular, promoting the interests and safeguarding the concerns of the Defence Reserve component of the ADF. Further information can be found on the DRA website www.dra.org.auMembership is open to all individuals and organisations with an interest in defence. Reservists, both retired and currently serving members, are welcome to join the DRA regardless of their membership of other associations. Application for Membership should be made through the Secretary or Membership Officer of the appropriate State Branch.

NSW: PO BOX 1065, SINGLETON NSW 2330 [email protected]: PO BOX 1091, DARWIN NT 0801 [email protected]: CAG-NR Victoria Barracks, Petrie Terrace, Brisbane QLD 4000 [email protected] SA: 20 Grevillea Drive, BANKSIA PARK SA 5091 [email protected]: GPO Box 729, HOBART TAS 7001 [email protected]: PO Box 88, BRIAR HILL VIC 3088 [email protected]: 21 Wattle Street, SOUTH PERTH WA 6151 [email protected]

THE ORCHARD & BIG SKY PUBLISHING BOOK PRIZES FOR BEST ARTICLESThe Orchard Prize: In order to encourage the submission of high quality and interesting articles, Captain Malcolm Orchard RFD ED (DRA SA Branch) initiated the Orchard Prize for the best published articles. There are potentially two prizes each edition: one for the best article by an Officer and a further prize for the best article by a Non-commissioned Officer or Other Rank. Also the editor-in chief may award a prize for thought provoking articles.

The Big Sky Publishing Book Prize: Big Sky Publishing (www.bigskypublishing.com.au) generously offer a book prize for historically themed articles.The prize winners are chosen by the Editorial committee taking into account the relevance of the topic in promoting Reserves, the overall quality of the article, the

issues raised, the topicality and the perceived interest level. The Editorial Committee had a number of very high quality articles that were all worthy of a prize. The prize winners for this edition are:

Major Stuart Cumming, Captain Louise Broadfoot and Captain Michael Trainor each receive ANZAC Sons by Allison Marlow Paterson (Big Sky Publishing) for their articles.

Corporal Natalie Eagles receives: Captains of the Soul: A History of Australian Army Chaplains by Dr Michael Gladwin (Big Sky Publishing) for her article on her Tasman Scheme Experience.

Major Kevin Walsh is the winner of the Big Sky Publishing Book prize and he receives Our Friend the Enemy by David Cameron (Big Sky Publishing) for his article on the Muslim contribution to WW I.

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS The Journal is published twice yearly, in April and October. Our aim is to have a quality publication that promotes the interests of Reservists and the Australian Defence Force. Articles of interest include but are not restricted to: reports from Reservists on operations, issues for debate, Reserve Policy, structural reforms, awards, current events, Reservists in the news, historic articles with links to the Reserve, letters to the editor, relevant book reviews, etc. Articles (preferably in electronic format - Word Format) should be sent to the editor c/- PO Box 88, Briar Hill VIC 3088 or if submitting by email send to [email protected]. Pictures should be submitted as separate high-resolution JPEG format files or print quality originals. Articles for the October 2016 edition should be submitted by 5th September. Early submission is greatly appreciated.

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MODERNISATION AND ARMY RESERVE FORCE POSTURE IN THE 21ST CENTURYCaptain Michael Trainor

Headquarters 11th Brigade

IntroductionThe Australian Army has long maintained a reliance on the ordinary citizens of this nation to provide for the defence of the Commonwealth and its interests. While Australia has maintained a permanent military force in various forms since colonial times, it has been the ‘amateur soldier’ that has borne the responsibility to fight in our most significant and bloodiest conflicts. Even prior to Federation, Australia has utilised citizen wartime volunteers to generate its expeditionary forces for overseas service. These expeditionary forces were recruited on specified terms of service which not only outlined the period of service, but since 1903 were specifically raised for the purpose of evading legislative restrictions on the use of Australian militia (Reserve) military forces beyond Australian territorial limits as prescribed under the Defence Act. It has been argued that these citizen soldiers’ civilian skills and unconventional patterns of thought enabled their innovative and adaptive battlefield tactics which produced operational planning and outcomes that still heavily influence Australian Army land warfare doctrine today.The reliance on citizen soldiers as the cornerstone of Australian defence policy shifted after the end of World War Two. The continued need to maintain troops under arms for occupational purposes and the looming Soviet threat resulted in the establishment of the Australian Regular Army in 1947. It was intended to provide Australia with a professional army that would drastically reduce the traditional reliance on citizen soldiers to defend the state.However, the establishment of two Armies within Australia created a situation in which the Australian Government and the Army General Staff struggled to rationalise and articulate a new strategic purpose for the Army Reserve.

Mobilisation of Reserve ForcesUnlike the United States Army Reserve, United States National Guard and the British Territorial Army, the Australian Army Reserve has not been mobilised for warlike operational service since the Second World War. This is despite having some of the highest individual and collective force training requirements and legislative protections for ‘call out’ of any combat Reserve land force anywhere in the modern world.While it is true that individual volunteer members of the Army Reserve have seen operational service in East Timor and the Solomon Islands, and some individual members have deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq and on UN missions, for the most part and with the general exception of the Middle East Area of Operations, these are deployments which are not

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classified as ‘warlike’ by the Department of Defence and are usually only assigned as operations to the Army Reserve once Regular Army units have withdrawn and are reallocated in readiness to other areas of operations considered a greater risk.This situation is arguably a political decision based on risk aversion rather than a decision based on military strategy. However, while the Army Reserve has not yet been called up into warlike service in recent times, Defence planners have had to come to terms with the fact that the ADF and in particular the Army is easily stretched in terms of adequate manpower to support operations. This has caused the Australian Government and Defence in general to establish new expectations of the Army Reserve. This is evident in the stated force generation requirements under the White Paper and Plan BEERSHEBA which requires Army Reserve formations to be ready to provide a mission ready Battlegroup for active service in support of a parent Regular Army Brigade on a rotational cycle. This new mission and force generation requirement puts new demands on the Army Reserve and requires a readjustment of training standards and mission readiness not only at the collective level but also at the individual level.

Training StandardsIn the past, Army Reserve training standards and capability have reflected the low readiness mission requirements stated in Defence policy by the Australian Government. The rapid degrading of Army funding and capability in the years following the Vietnam War created a long term inability for Army to effectively maintain or equip a Reserve force capable of contributing to Army operations if necessary or in reality to complete its mission at all.It can be well argued that the Australian led stabilisation mission in East Timor in 1999 clearly identified the significant detrimental impact that the post-Vietnam ‘Defence of Australia’ doctrine had caused on Army’s ability to deploy or project force let alone sustain operations external to the Australian mainland. These limitations were explicitly clear not only in terms of logistic support but more importantly in terms of manpower. This predicament and failing in future planning forced Army to finally source manpower from the Army Reserve, a move considered unthinkable outside of a wartime emergency.The increasing utilisation by Army of its Reserve workforce to support sustained operations in the last decade has resulted in a dramatic shift in professional standards and learning across the Reserve force as a whole. The second order effect to this increased utilisation has materialised as a pathway to increased training options, realism and resources with the centre of gravity being the operational focus.

Rifle Company Butterworth Rotation 112 A positive example of this is the recent rotation of 11 and 13 Brigade soldiers who deployed to Malaysia as part of Rifle Company Butterworth rotation 112 (RCB 112).Members of RCB 112 force generated directly out of their home states, taking leave from across a range of professions and trades. This force was generally young, fit, highly motivated and well trained prior to deployment which reflects the changing face and mission of the Army Reserve. Upon arrival in country RCB 112 soldiers were immediately immersed in jungle warfare exercises and consistent live fire training including a full suite of HE practices.These soldiers also undertook jungle survival training at the Malaysian Army Jungle Warfare School

(PULADA) and conducted demanding and high intensity field training throughout its entire period of service in South East Asia. These soldiers by the end of their rotation were force postured and ready to deploy operationally anywhere in the world. This was so, not only due to practicality, but more importantly due to a genuine state of force readiness and preparation actually existing at that point.

Effect of Plan BEERSHEBAA further example is that exercises are now conducted by Army Reserve force elements in full partnership with Regular Army formations and international partners which is supporting inter-operability and increased readiness. Under Plan BEERSHEBA, major exercise planning now incorporates Army Reserve units into the battlespace as part of the combined combat brigades with Regular and Reserve staff officers operating in the same HQ. This can only further enhance not only the capability of the Army Reserve but also the Army as a whole.Some Issues and Questions for ConsiderationIt is clear that Army is intent on making increasing use of its Reserve force to support ADF operations. However if the Army Reserve is to ever truly exist as part of the ‘One Army’ and provide the capability that reflects the intent of that policy, hard questions must be asked on a range of issues. These issues must be evaluated with seriousness and

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action taken to generate positive change if required. Some of the following issues are specific to Reserve capability and force generation.Mobilisation: Firstly is ‘call out’ mobilisation of the Army Reserve or components thereof required to guarantee rather than seek to achieve force generation to support operational manpower requirements? Consider that provision for this option exists under the Defence Act 1903 and is practiced in the United Kingdom and the United States. Alternatively, is it preferable for planners to maintain the status quo of drawing volunteers from across Reserve formations to form a deployable force element?Generating a specific task-force: Has the concept of forming and generating a specific expeditionary task-force similar in nature and conditions of service to the Australian Imperial Forces raised for the World Wars or ‘K’ Force raised for service in Korea ever been considered? This could occur by drawing volunteers from across the Regular Army and Army Reserve. In contrast to Plan BEERSHEBA, this would in effect make the Army a pool of potential volunteers whom when not currently preparing to deploy with their unit could opt to serve on a specific operation or campaign rather than wait to be force assigned through the normal operational rotation cycle. Alternatively is it feasible to maintain a high readiness element within each Army Reserve formation which serves on continuous full time service for a specified ready period in order to provide an easily deployable force element when needed? For example, an Army Reserve Brigade could raise, train and sustain a platoon drawn internally from within the Brigade. The platoon could then serve on continuous full time service for a rotational 12 month period and deploy within that timeframe on short notice if required.

Equipment resourcing: Further to this, how can critical equipment become standardised and resourced across the whole Army rather than allocated to Reserve units on a very temporary basis to meet short term training objectives? This has a demoralising and capability limiting effect on Reserve units and soldiers when constantly forced to use obsolete equipment or are denied access to critical resources which are pertinent to operational readiness.In a first world country like Australia with a very well-funded military is there a genuine excuse for the lack of resourcing to Reserve units or in some cases apathy towards Reserve capability? Consider that partner nations like the United States and the United Kingdom standardise equipment and resources across their Regular and Reserve forces and deploy their Reserve forces regularly into high intensity areas of operation.

ConclusionsThese questions are not easy to answer, although I assume that there would be passionate views about these issues right across the Army Reserve and from former Reserve servicemen and women. It is a fact that Reserve soldiers serve for a different reason to their Regular Army counterparts. The Reservist is a citizen soldier who serves out of adventure, duty, mate-ship and loyalty to country which is the cornerstone of the traditional Australian culture. They are unique amongst our society; the traditional warrior class that sacrifice their time which would otherwise be given to family and leisure pursuits, to serve their country. These men and women are truly special Australians who are prepared to accept that ultimately they may be asked to go into harms way and risk their lives in defence of Australia, its people and its institutions. It is a question for Government and Army in general how it wishes to support and utilise the Army Reserve and its soldiers who more than anything are willing, ready and able to serve and protect this nation and the Australian way of life.

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SERVING WITH THE COLORADO ARMY NATIONAL GUARDMajor Stuart Cumming

Directorate of Reserve Officer Career Management - Army

IntroductionAs a school teacher with the Education Department of Western Australia I was fortunate enough to recently undertake a 12 month US teacher exchange to Denver Colorado. Three months prior to leaving Australia I applied to parade with the Colorado National Guard while living in the USA. This application is in accordance with Defence Instruction - “Reservists Serving with ABCA Foreign Forces”. The application was duly granted and I spent 12 months parading with the 157th Infantry Battalion Colorado Army National Guard. My role was largely that of an observer looking at training methods, but I was able to participate in activities such a range qualifications.

The US National GuardThe National Guard of the United States is part of the Reserve component of the United States Armed Forces. Na-tional Guard units are under the dual control of the state and the federal government and may be called up for active duty by state governors to help respond to domestic emergencies and disasters, such as hurricanes, floods, and earth-quakes. Also National Guard units can be mobilized at any time by presidential order to supplement regular armed forces, and upon declaration of a state of emergency by the governor of the state in which they serve.

Depot StructureThe 157th Bn has soldiers based throughout Colorado with Armories (equivalent to our ARES Depots) across the state. However parading at a specific Armory for NCOs and Officers is based on organisational needs rather than a personal choice of attending a depot close to home. It is not uncommon to have NCOs and Officers travel hundreds of miles to distant depots despite having a local depot. This is not such an issue as no weeknight training occurs. I noted that a handful of soldiers even flew interstate at their own expense to attend weekend training such was their commitment to the unit. The 157th Bn Headquarters is based at Fort Carson which is the size of a small city and is overlooked by Cheyenne Mountain - NORAD’s base of operations.

Organisational structureRank structure is similar to the Australian Army, however it sees Captains commanding Infantry Companies. NCOs have multiple levels within ranks, however these are more or less aligned to Australian rank structure. The Bn structure is somewhat more traditional with mortars, snipers, and a support Company. All were well equipped and trained. Rifle company names are somewhat more flamboyant than our phonetic alphabet names. Rifle company names in the 157th were Attack, Battle, Chaos and Delta. Hellcat is HQ COY and Warhorse Support COY. A little confusing until I worked out what these regularly used (spoken) names actually represented. One big difference I noticed was the use

At Fort Carson Range for range practice and qualification

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of acronyms. They really do speak a foreign language over here when it comes to acronyms.

Comparing Conditions of ServiceThere are many similarities between the Australian Army Reserve and the US National Guard, but also some differences. Officers have somewhat different conditions to enlisted soldiers, having to provide or pay for all their meals whenever they attend training. Uniform costs are also met by individuals. Significant equipment and training resources are laid on and are on a par with similar Regular Army units.

Training AttendanceWeekend training reminded me of the halcyon days of the Army Reserve in WA back in the early 1980’s when a

full rifle Battalion would attend training activities. The 157th Battalion has almost 800 personnel with generally over 600 attending all training activities. Sequestration saw training days reduced, however this did not appear to affect output or the effectiveness of the soldiers. Civilian law enforcement is used as a matter of course to enforce AWOL recalcitrants. Failure to attend training is seen as a serious offence and missing parades can result in an arrest warrant being issued and actioned by the civilian police. Once discharged, failure to return equipment will likewise result in criminal charges. It seems somewhat harsh compared to the manner in which such issues are dealt with in the Australian Army Reserve. However attendance and discharge issues did not appear to be a significant problem.

Range QualificationTurning up to the range to qualify in a new weapon with hundreds of other firers seemed like mission impossible. Range safety was maintained in an extremely efficient and effective manner. Initial zeroing of the M4 Carbine occurred on the 25m range where 80 firing points were divided up into 3 different groups. Patching out would occur with

different groups going forward to patch out while adjacent groups continued firing. Firers were rotated efficiently and the large number quickly completed their zeroing. Scoring 38 out of a possible 40 saw me qualify “Expert” and only one point off Marksman.

Battle Training RhythmThe battle rhythm of the Battalion is generally high tempo but particularly in the lead up to the Annual Training (AT) exercise which is of two weeks duration. Commander’s Update Briefings occur daily during training weekends and on exercise. A constant readiness for deployment is apparent. The majority of personnel have deployed with the National Guard on active operations, many to multiple theatres. Unconfirmed figures suggest that close to 100% of the Reserve/National Guard personnel have been deployed on active duty, while for the full time Regular Army the figure is closer to 40%.

Annual Training ExerciseThe June weekend training activity prior to the July annual exercise was spent conducting sustainment and ROC drills. All key players attended. Many potential issues were ironed out well in advance of the exercise. These types of rehearsals although covered during promotional courses in the ADF are seldom utilised to the extent they are in the 157th Bn, where they occur as a matter of course. Having all personnel from privates, NCOs and Officers attend all training activities truly makes a difference and significantly added value to the results achieved, making all training exercises extremely worthwhile.

Weekend TrainingWeekend training following the AT exercise went straight into preparing for the following year’s AT. While soldiers were attending to personal administration and continuation training, the Operations Cell which numbered 14 Officers and 6 ORs, were straight into working on lessons learnt and preparation for the following year’s training activities and opportunities. Of particular note was the ongoing PT assessments which included height / weight analysis; failure in any aspect of this assessment is considered to be an overall failure.

Zeroing the M4 Carbine on the 24 Metre Range

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Support for the MilitarySupport for the military from the civilian community is literally everywhere: vehicle licence plates proudly include phrases such as, Retired Veteran, Wounded Veteran, Proud Father of a Marine etc. The biggest applause at the NBA games I attended was for returning service men and women who have their military careers read to the crowd. Such was the volume of applause the “Hero of the Game” could not be heard. The military receive significant benefits, including health, and college/university fees assistance for members and their families. My family and I visited Mt Rushmore in South Dakota after sun set in order to see the four presidents carved in the mountain lit up at night. Following the light show all past and present members of the US military came on stage to be individually introduced and receive a salute from the crowd. This sort of accolade occurs regularly at public events. Local supermarkets throughout the country have photo display boards dedicated to locals who are currently serving or who have previously served.

Vacation TimeMy summer break from teaching was spent on a 10,000 mile road trip, where we visited 27 US states and 4 Canadian provinces. Two of the many highlights were a visit to Arlington National Cemetery, and Gettysburg where one of the decisive US Civil War battles occurred. Anyone who has served on active duty qualifies for an all expenses paid Arlington plot, as does their partner. The higher the rank the more formal a ceremony; from a 3-gun salute for a private, to a 21-gun artillery salute with horse drawn carriage for a general and everything in between. Over 30 services are held six days a week throughout the year. In recent times all headstones regardless of rank are the same. Graves we visited included Lee Marvin (actor), Audey Murphy and President J.F. Kennedy. The Gettysburg battlefields are still undeveloped and have the feeling of how they would have been at the time of the US Civil War.

Conclusion I found my time serving with the Colorado National Guard to be extremely rewarding, both personally and professionally. I would like to personally thank Major Hopkins Commanding Officer of the 157th Bn for sponsoring me. The 157th Bn is an extremely professional unit and is an important and vital cog in the US Army. Overall the American people truly respect, honour and appreciate their military personnel and this appreciation is quite genuine. For anyone who finds themselves working overseas for an extended period and have the opportunity to train with one of our ABCA allies, it is something that I would highly recommend.

Arlington National Cemetry and the gravestone of PFC Lee Marvin USMC

About the Author: Major Stuart Cumming has over 30 years experience in the Australian Army Reserve including postings to regional force surveillance units, the Royal Western Australian Regiment and an operational deployment to the Solomon Islands. He lives in Bunbury Western Australia and is currently posted as a student to the Australian Command and Staff College.

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XX LEADERSHIP, XY LEADERSHIP OR JUST GOOD LEADERSHIPA REVIEW OF WALKER’S FEMALE MILITARY LEADERSHIP MODEL

Captain Louise Broadfoot11 Combat Service Support Battalion

IntroductionIn 2012, Dr. Karen Walker PhD published an article titled “A Model for Femininity and Military Leadership” in the Journal of Psychological Issues in Organizational Culture. In her article, Walker introduces a leadership model that she argues is unique to female leaders in a male-dominated military environment. Walker argues that although the concept of women as leaders is not a novelty, recent trends increasingly describe women as breaking through traditional “glass ceilings,” thus pioneering female leadership roles in the workplace and the military. Walker’s notion is seemingly borne out by media interest at the local, national and international level in women doing things normally associated with male-dominated environments. For example, 11 Brigade’s first female gunners who qualified as artillery mortar operators, female graduates from the Royal Military College being assigned to Combat Arms Corps and internationally, when two females passed the US Army Ranger Course, in 2014. Therefore, she argues, that women in leadership is a movement; a paradigm shift.

The Female Military Leadership Model Walker’s model is based on multiple case study analysis of female military officers leading in male-dominated environments. Whilst her research is based on female members of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps, she uses inductive reasoning to draw broader conclusions. Walker argues that whilst historically, in the United States the thought of women leading men was taboo, this powerful reality cannot be ignored any longer.From this research, Walker formulates a feminine leadership model which has four principal dimensions: femininity, self-efficacy, emotional intelligence, and teamwork (F-SET). Her model provides a feminist appeal, and engages leadership theory from other innovative angles.This article examines Walker’s proposal by analysing her argument through the lens of the author’s personal experience in command – particularly as an officer on full-time service during Operation Resolute. The article will describe Walker’s feminist leadership model and then ask the question: Is leadership gendered? Is there a need to define a specifically “female military leadership model”? Is good leadership simply good leadership?Walker’s thesis argues that a female officer will gain the respect of her (predominantly male) subordinates by accepting her femininity and being confident in it, rather than trying to be “one of the boys”. Discussing self-efficacy – or an internal belief regarding one’s job-related capabilities and competencies (Newstrom & Davis, 2002) – Walker suggests that women can confront gender bias and stereotypical negative expectations by believing in their own ability to lead successfully. Attributes such as sympathy, interpersonal skills, negotiating ability and fairness are discussed under the banner of “emotional intelligence”, with all of these attributes contributing to the leader’s strength in “teamwork”.

My personal experience in a leadership roleMy personal experience is formed through the lens of commanding men and women since 2006 and during operational command of a platoon on OP RESOLUTE. During my recent operational service, the overall gender mix was about 16.6% female, with females represented in Officer appointments (20%), Warrant Officer/Senior Non Commissioned Officers (16%), Junior Non Commissioned Officers (19%) and Other ranks (16%). Of particular relevance (for this article) females held command appointments in three of sixteen small teams and one of the two platoons. My role as Platoon Commander was to lead, manage and administer a platoon of soldiers and sailors during eight weeks pre-deployment training, three months of operational deployment and a final few weeks demount period. During the operational phase, LT Jared Bellgardt (25/49 RQR) and I led teams aboard Royal Australian Navy and Australian Border Force vessels. When not at sea, we were each responsible for leading, training and administering those soldiers and sailors who were preparing for deployment, returning from deployment or conducting continuation training ashore. My operational experience by no means makes me an expert on military leadership; however it did present unique challenges which I have used to consider Walker’s findings. During the lead-up training, Commanders at all levels worked hard to ensure the Army and Navy personnel bonded as an entity, overcoming some cultural differences within and between the different services, as well as preconceptions surrounding full-time vs part-time military. As an Army Reservist with no previous full-time service, I personally found the “24/7” nature of deployment somewhat challenging. Constantly being surrounded by colleagues, senior officers and subordinates as opposed to my usual distinction between work and home life, enforced vigilance and awareness of my own behavioural standards, particularly off-duty. And of course, there were the expected welfare, discipline and administrative challenges that go hand-in-hand with a group of men and women away from families from an extended period of time, with the questionable temptations of Mitchell Street only a three-dollar bus ride away.

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As the only female officer, (and one of only two members above the rank of CPL) at no stage did I consider that my gender had any influence – positive or negative – on the attitudes of my peers, subordinates or senior officers towards me. I feel that I was judged on my merits and shortcomings as a leader, rather than as a female leader. Nothing that I do as a leader is out of the ordinary, and my personal leadership model is more or less summed up by “be competent, act with integrity and don’t be obnoxious”.

Comparison with Australian Army Principles With the exception of Femininity, the principles identified in Walker’s F-SET model are all contained within Army’s Principles of Leadership Behaviour, described in LWD 0-0 Command, Leadership and Management. Self-Efficacy can be achieved if one is proficient, seeks self-improvement, seeks and accepts responsibility, leads by example and provides direction. Emotional Intelligence includes knowing yourself, and knowing and caring for your subordinates. Teamwork includes building your team and challenging their abilities, and keeping them informed.Military leadership doctrine draws no distinction between male and female leaders. I have the utmost admiration for strong female leaders, who have no doubt blazed trails in less supportive environments than junior leaders enjoy today, but equally I admire strong male leaders. In my view, good leadership is good leadership regardless of gender. Indeed, by attempting to define female-specific leadership principles, it only serves to highlight one’s gender rather than highlighting an individual’s overall leadership capability. A survey of 64,000 people around the world indicated that leadership values traditionally considered feminine, create more effective organizational strategies in today’s society than the masculine, “macho” leadership ideals of the past (Gerzema & D’Antonio 2013). This is supported by World Economic Forum (WEF) research showing that companies with strong female leadership (defined as those having three or more women on their boards) deliver a 36% higher return on equity (WEF 2015).

Leadership traitsGerzema & D’Antonio (2013) defined a variety of leadership traits as “masculine”, “feminine” and “neutral”, based on responses to their global survey. “Masculine” traits included being dominant, aggressive, ambitious, assertive, stubborn, competent and straightforward. “Neutral” traits included being visionary, energetic, collaborative and intelligent; while “feminine” traits included being flexible, intuitive, supportive, humble and caring.

Capt Broadfoot and some of her team aboard Australian Border Force Cutter Ocean Shield. L-R is AB Mark Welsh, AB Edwin Reyes, CPL Marita Laurie-Rhodes, CAPT Louise Broadfoot, PTE Ben Connolly and PTE Jamie McElligott

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Walker’s F-SET model claims to offer a “unique approach to leadership for women in the military” and “shed light on the counterintuitive findings that maintaining aspects of femininity, showing self-confidence in the workplace, managing emotions, and maintaining a team-oriented focus play a vital role in leading in male-dominated environments” (Walker 2012, p. 33-34). My opinion is that it reinforces the non-gender-specific leadership principles already found in military leadership doctrine. The female officers interviewed were adamant about “maintaining their femininity by not acting like a man”. I

agree that as a leader, it is important to maintain one’s “feminine” leadership traits such as those mentioned above. It is equally important not to let a leadership position make you unapproachable and overbearing in trying to be “masculine”. However, these positive qualities are found in any good leader, regardless of gender. It is neither unique nor counter-intuitive to suggest that a leader display these positive qualities. A simpler way of putting this “don’t try to be something you’re not”. Army leadership doctrine encapsulates this idea in the principle of “knowing yourself and seeking self-improvement”.The principle of “being proficient” outlined in LWD 0-0 is one I find particularly powerful as a female in a male-dominated environment. Having worked in police and military environments for some fourteen years, I have learned that if my practical and technical abilities are at least equal to my male counterparts, this in itself earns the respect and confidence of my colleagues; and in turn develops my own self-confidence. I wholeheartedly concur

with the view of current Australian Regular Army Signals Corps officer LT Natacha Fasel-Murphy: “As long as you’re competent and you know what you’re doing, gender is not an issue … the Army pays equal wages regardless of gender”.

ConclusionArmy is actively taking steps to diversify its workforce, having opened up combat roles to women in 2013 and Special Forces in 2014. Many other male-dominated workplaces have set gender equity targets, for example the Australian Federal Police is aiming for a workplace containing 35% female officers within five years, with their ultimate goal of 50% in ten years (Anderson 2016). Whether or not these targets are ultimately met, there is no doubt that females in leadership roles will become less of an oddity and thereby judged solely on leadership qualities, rather than gender.Whilst I agree with Walker’s article as far as describing important attributes for a female officer to lead successfully, I personally do not believe there is any need for the Army to define a gender-based leadership model. Indeed, Army demonstrates gender equity more effectively by not doing so. The art of influencing others knows no gender.

About the Author: Captain Louise Broadfoot is an Army Reserve Transport Corps Officer with 9 years service, currently posted to 11 Combat Service Support Battalion. She deployed on Operation Resolute. Her previous postings have been as the Liaison Officer to the Commander of the 11th Brigade, and as a Troop Commander at 7 Combat Service Support Battalion. In her civilian career she has been a police officer with the Victoria Police and the Queensland Police Service for over 14 years, and currently holds the rank of Sergeant.The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not reflect those of 11 Brigade, the Australian Army, Australian Defence Force or the Australian Government. This article has been written with the assistance of the 11 Brigade Junior Officer Development Program (JODP). It was originally posted on the ForceNet 11 Bde JODP discussion blog and feedback from members of this group has been incorporated into the article.

OP RESOLUTE members undergo first Aid training on board ABFC Ocean Shield

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This Century old organisation has been integral in providing a meeting place for current and ex service personnel.

The Returned and Services League was not the first of its kind, as veterans of each previous military campaigns had established their own league like the South African League supporting the veterans of the Boar War. Membership to the Leagues gave its membership base a common voice. However, what made the Returned and Services Leagues membership base different was the sheer volume of returning service personnel.

In its infancy the individual sub-branches of the Returned and Services League relied heavily on the generous donations of the greater community through the provision of furnishings and financial support.

The Geelong Returned and Services League Sub-branch had a few chairs and a card table.

“It is amazing to see how the Returned and Service League has evolved to meet

the demands of each generation of veteran. In 1932 the Geelong RSL built a hall next to its CBD location and for the next 20 years it held Dances that were advertised as far as Melbourne until its sale to the YMCA.” Geelong RSL Committee member Alex Williams joined the league after his eight-year service with the Australian Defence Force and has further researching the history of the Geelong RSL sub-branch.

“The average age of the Great War digger was 22 years. In comparison to today the membership base was operating a successful night club from their mid 30s till they were in their mid 50s when the membership base elected to purchase a

Lawn Tennis Club.”

As the veterans of The Great War aged the Geelong RSL moulded to meet their needs providing sports and recreational activities like golf, lawn tennis, darts, and billiards. As the membership changed it moulded to meet the next generation as the younger membership base had different needs. This is an adaptive organisation that listens to the collective voice of its members.”

The RSL continues to operate on the values of camaraderie, concern and mateship that was shown by the “Diggers” for the welfare of their mates during and after the 1914-1918 War. This ethos of compassion and service remains today as the motivating influence of the League.

The League is listening to its members and is providing a number of Adaptive Sports that encourages serving and former serving members that have been physically or mentally wounded to participate in sport as part of their recovery.

The league members will continue to adapt the RSL to meet their needs and League sub-branches like the Geelong RSL Sub-branch will continue to provide a range of events for veterans, their families and the local community to enjoy, regular activities such as barefoot bowling, golfing and dart competitions, great affordable meals, a place to connect and enjoy socially, and opportunities to get involved in helping adapt the league for the next generation of service personnel.

ADVERTORIAL The Returned and Services League – Serving Still


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FULL CIRCLE Colonel Michael Bond CSC

Commander of the Australian Contingent OP ASLANSenior Military Liaison Officer - Jonglei State South Sudan

IntroductionOn 9 July 2011 South Sudan became the newest country in the world. The birth of the Republic of South Sudan was the culmination of a six-year peace process which began with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005.In adopting Resolution 1996 on 8 July 2011, the UN Security Council determined that the situation faced by South Sudan continued to constitute a threat to international peace and security in the region and established the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) to consolidate peace and security and to help establish conditions for development.Following the crisis which broke out in South Sudan in December 2013, the Security Council, by its Resolution 2155 of 27 May 2014, reinforced UNMISS and reprioritized its mandate towards the protection of civilians, human rights monitoring, and support for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and for the implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.

UNMISS Key TasksThe UN Mission to South Sudan consists of 11,350 troops, 179 military liaison officers, 994 police (including Formed Police Units), 769 international civilian personnel, 1,204 local civilian staff and 409 United Nations Volunteers. The key task of UNMISS are:Protection of civilians: To protect civilians under threat of physical violence, irrespective of the source of such

violence, within its capacity and areas of deployment, with specific protection for women and children, including through the continued use of the Mission’s child protection and women’s protection advisers;Monitoring and investigating human rights: To monitor, investigate, verify and report publicly and regularly on abuses and violations of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, including those that may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity;Creating the conditions for delivery of humanitarian assistance: To contribute to the creation of the conditions for the delivery of humanitarian assistance, including by helping to establish the necessary security conditions and by exercising its good offices, confidence-building and facilitation, so as to allow, in accordance with relevant provisions of international law and United Nations guiding principles of humanitarian assistance, the full, safe and unhindered access of relief personnel to all those in need in South Sudan and timely delivery of humanitarian assistance, in particular to internally displaced persons and refugees;Supporting the Implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement: To provide mobile and dedicated fixed site security to support to the work of the Monitoring and Verification Teams.

Operation ASLANOperation ASLAN is Australia’s contribution to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). It is Australia’s only deployment on the African continent. The UNMISSmandate is principally about protecting civilians from harm in the war-stricken nation. The Australian contingent consists of 24 personnel from Navy, Army and Airforce. The Commander of the Australian Contingent position on OP ASLAN is described by the Chief of Defence Force as

Major Jose Pinto after being awarded the UNMISS Medal by Colonel Bond

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“one of the most difficult and dangerous postings”. From July 2015 to March 2016 the position was held by a Reservist from the 11th Brigade. The following article was submitted from South Sudan.

The Australian contingent to United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)As the Commander of the Australian Contingent, force protection for the contingent is my first priority. Then my focus is on enabling and supporting each member of the contingent to make the most valuable and most rewarding contribution that they can possibly make in their time on mission. The Australians occupy key positions across the headquarters of UNMISS. Each member of the contingent brings something unique and significant to this most important United Nations mission. I regularly receive great feedback from a number of sources about the performance of members of the contingent. At any given moment, they are one of 24 uniformed Australians in South Sudan with the principal and very real mission of protecting civilians from harm. I am not sure service gets better than this.In addition to commanding the Australian Contingent, my United Nations role is as the Senior Military Liaison Officer of Jonglei State, the largest State in South Sudan. In this role, I command another 24 military personnel – from 22 different nations of the world including China, Russia, Vietnam, Norway and Nepal. They range in rank from Captain to Lieutenant Colonel. As a command, it is exhilarating, perplexing and rewarding. So imagine that, having two jobs at the same time: both very challenging; both very different and both requiring the highest standards of execution – at the same time. Reservists reading this of course will be thinking: “Yes, that is exactly how I live my life.” And so it is.

The Major from Timor LesteOne of the memorable moments during my deployment comes from my very first day in my role as the Senior Military Liaison Officer. I received a great boost in my hopes for South Sudan the first time I met the 24 Military Liaison Officers. As I entered the briefing room all I could see was a mass of different camouflage uniforms and faces. We then sat down in the conference room for the daily briefing and I slowly looked around the circle at those I would be commanding.

Colonel Bond immersed fully in the operation; interfacing with the future of South Sudan

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Immediately I spotted a symbol of immense personal significance to me. It was a symbol that instantly gave me great hope for this country. Ignoring the person sitting beside me I leant across and shook the hand of the Major wearing the symbol on his sleeve. It was the flag of Timor Leste.Sixteen years ago I had deployed to East Timor when it had been devastated by violence and became the newest country on Earth. Now, sitting in what today is the newest country on Earth in the middle of Africa, I met a Major from Timor Leste. His name is Jose Pinto. His father was killed in the violence of 1999. In the intervening period, Timor Leste has grown its institutions with international support to the extent that it is now deploying Army officers to assist other war torn nations. I am delighted to be commanding an Officer from Timor Leste. It is truly full circle for me. I had skin in that success, and it has now come back to me. INTERFET was returning a comprehensive dividend some 16 years later in the middle of Africa.Not only was Major Pinto a quality army officer, he was able to give me unique perception. As he had been on the other side of a deployment by the United Nations, he provided me with sensitive insight into how the South Sudanese may be feeling about certain issues and approaches. This empathy proved invaluable to me and altered my decision making on more than one occasion.His presence on the mission also gave me great hope for South Sudan. When peace comes to this country, just imagine what could be achieved here in another 16 years.ConclusionAs my two jobs draw to a close, I still hold great hope for South Sudan. I had always thought that the opportunity to deploy to the newest country on Earth to help people in crisis would be only a once in a life time experience. The first time was East Timor. It now appears to be even better the second time around with my deployment to South Sudan.

About the Author: Colonel Michael Bond joined the Army Reserve in 1984. He deployed to Timor Leste in 1999 with INTERFET. In 2009 he took command of 9 RQR and deployed over 300 Reservists on five operations during his command. In 2012 he was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross for his leadership of the Battalion. In 2015 he deployed as COMASC for OP ASLAN. Colonel Bond is a horticulturist, writer and lawyer specialising in child protection.

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REFLECTIONS ON CONTEMPORARY SERVICE AND ITS PLACE IN THE UNSPOKEN HIERARCHY OF WAR SERVICE

Major Sally HeidenreichAustralian Army Reserve

IntroductionLast year, I voluntarily marched in an Anzac Day parade for the first time. I had marched compulsorily a number of times previously, but this was the first time I had made the decision of my own accord, after years of sitting on the sidelines. I had conflicting feelings as I marched. On the one hand, I found that I did feel proud of having served. But on the other hand I felt as though I didn’t belong out there, and quite strongly so. The Anzac Day parade, as I perceived it, was an occasion reserved for “real” veterans; veterans of “real” conflicts.Anzac Day was for those who deserved to be celebrated or commemorated. It was for veterans who had lived in trenches, stormed machine-gun nests, been torpedoed. It was for those who had fought in jungles so dense visibility was reduced to a matter of metres, those who had been forced to slave on railways, those who had been imprisoned in unimaginable conditions.

My Operational ServiceI deployed firstly to Southern Iraq in 2005, then again to Iraq in 2008, from where I was subsequently re-deployed to Afghanistan, then finally once more to Afghanistan in 2009. While I can’t write fully about the specifics of some of my

work, my experiences on deployment involved factors such as being regularly subjected to indirect fire, living in at-times putrid conditions, or occasionally going without fresh food for weeks. I went “outside the wire” on patrol a number of times during my first deployment, including in circumstances where I was the provider of security to others and not the other way around.I had the privilege of close and regular contact with local civilians. I found myself in several helicopters which were targeted or hit by small-arms fire. I felt many times the sickening thud of an explosion nearby, as I tried to put on my helmet and body armour while counting the seconds after hearing the primaries. During my final tour, my team and I had the opportunity to make a number of edits to the insurgent ORBAT ourselves.None of the above makes me any different to any other contemporary veteran. Many of these factors are fairly standard experiences, particularly in the Middle East. But for some reason, in my own mind, the nature of my service ranked somewhere well below veterans

who had been involved in “real” wars. Therefore, as I saw it, I didn’t have a proper place out amongst the “real” veterans marching on Anzac Day: the servicemen and women returned from the World Wars, from Korea, or from Vietnam.

Early PerceptionsAs a young officer cadet going through training at the Royal Military College—Duntroon in 2001, a prevailing theme underpinning our training, whether it was intended or not, was that one had to see active service on operations in order to have credibility. Years of low operational tempo, occasionally (and comparatively briefly) punctuated by an operation in Cambodia or Somalia or Rwanda, had recently been broken by the advent of operations in East Timor, and many of our instructors bore the medals to show for it. As we listened to tales straight out of Dili and Maliana, it was implicit that we needed to deploy in order to take ourselves, and be taken, seriously.As a young Lieutenant, as I watched those around me deploy to East Timor, then the Solomon Islands, I became certain that I would never have any street-cred whatsoever. Deploying on operations became my raison d’être; (if only I knew at the time that exhaustion from repeated deployments would later become one of my primary motivators for transferring to the Army Reserve).

Sally with explosive detection dog Sarbi. This photograph was taken shortly after Sarbi was rescued after spending a year as a Taliban hostage. Monitoring conducted by Sally’s team in Kanda-har initially identified the location in which Sarbi was held, and

an American patrol was later dispatched to retrieve her.

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What does it take to become a “real” veteran?Why, then, after I had returned from a number of demanding operational tours, did I still not feel that I deserved to be considered a “real” veteran? Perhaps it was from reading numerous books containing tales of incredible valour, courage and hardship from previous conflicts. Perhaps it was from comparing my own experiences to those of my father, who served as a Special Forces sniper in Vietnam and who has stories of his own that would fit seamlessly in to those books.Having mulled over this issue and wondered if it was only I who felt this way, I decided that it was worth putting this dilemma to some of my fellow contemporary veterans. Did they have similar feelings, and if so, why?

My survey of my contemporary veteran peersTo better inform my thinking, I put together an anonymous on-line survey and distributed it to a number of my peers and through them, to their networks. I asked respondents a series of questions which were intended to elicit answers illustrating how they felt about their own service, how they believed their service stacked up against the service of others, and how they felt their service was perceived by others.Of the 35 respondents, 90% had deployed on operations at least twice, while over 46% had done so four times or more. Nearly all had served in Iraq, Afghanistan or elsewhere in the Middle East, and others had deployed to East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Rwanda, Somalia, the Sinai Peninsula, South Sudan, Syria, Lebanon and Aceh.The clear majority of respondents had deployed to a zone where body armour was required due to the significant threat of either direct or indirect fire, and where carrying a personal weapon at all times was mandatory for personal security. Over half had gone on patrol, while close to two-thirds had done work requiring close interaction with local nationals. 23% had been exposed to direct fire, 66% to indirect fire, 51% to human suffering and 48% to death.

Survey Questions and responsesRespondents were asked to list any other significant factors which they felt had characterised their deployment(s), beyond the physical factors described above. In many cases these were intangible factors: “harassment and intimidation”, “complete lack of leadership from the strategic level down to the tactical”, or “alienation from Australian society and family for prolonged periods”.

Question 1: “Do you feel that your operational service is as equally deserving of recognition as that of veterans who served in World War One?” Fifty-four per cent of respondents answered in the negative. Asked the same question in respect of World War Two, that figure climbed slightly, to 58%.46% of respondents felt that their service was less worthy of recognition than that of Korean War veterans. The figure declined, to 31%, when considering their service against that of Vietnam War veterans.Respondents who had indicated “no” to any of the above were asked to briefly elaborate as to why they felt this way. The differing scale of the conflicts in question, in terms of casualties, intensity and overall hardship, was a prevalent theme in many responses.

“WWI & WWII were far worse conditions, with no visible end to the conflict. Casualties were huge and living conditions / pay / communications were poor. But aside from those conflicts being ‘harder’, they were also fought by a large number of volunteers rather than professional soldiers. Same said for conscripts.” “While the individual motivations and the human aspect of service remains the same, the nature and length of deployed service has changed from the previous wars. The isolation and hardships that the Vietnam and previous veterans had to go through places them in a different category than modern conflicts.”“I feel the scale of conflict during WWI and WWII far exceeds the operations I have been involved in. The amount of human suffering, death and destruction the servicemen and women of that time would have experienced dwarfs what we endure in the modern operational arena.”“I don’t think that we could possibly compare our current operations with WWI, WWII or Korea.”

Some respondents felt that because they had enjoyed certain modern conveniences during their deployments, this meant that their service was not as worthy of recognition:

“I feel as though my service was easy in comparison to the veterans of those conflicts. I had a bed, three square meals a day, internet, phones to call home, someone to wash my clothes, regular mail, etc. I did not watch hundreds / thousands of my mates fall beside me. I did not even fire a shot in anger myself.”“I tend to feel that we have it much easier on modern operations, in terms of the conditions of service and living environment, than soldiers had it decades ago. We also have much better technology, access to medical resources, etc. than our predecessors did.”

Other respondents felt that the absence of technological parity was a reason for their own deployments to rank beneath those of veterans of earlier conflicts:

“In all my deployments, there was no ‘near peer’ foe. They did not have the same [Command and Control], weapons, training or numbers. While there was risk and threat, and sometimes these were at high levels, it was

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peacekeeping or peace-enforcement, not war! It did not involve being away for years or conducting multiple rotations with a constant high risk.”

Question 2: “Do you feel that other contemporary veterans view your operational service equally?” Nearly forty per cent of respondents answered in the negative, offering various insights and perceptions by way of explanation. Corps (or Category/Mustering) featured prominently:

“I believe a high proportion of combat corps soldiers hold the view that non-combat soldiers are not faced with the same threats and stresses in a warlike theatre [and] thus are not deserving of recognition in the same manner as those who served ‘outside the wire’.”“I work in Combat Support, and as such am inherently removed from the ‘front line’ service that is the peak of Army service. Those few who have actually approached significant conflict are rightly held to higher regard.”“Despite all deployed members contributing to the greater effort within their area of expertise, people in support or service support roles are usually not considered equal in their operational service as they have not been in danger, discomfort, outside the wire, etc.”

“I perceive that those who are in an arms corps feel that as a female, I cannot possibly have done it as ‘hard’ as them, or done as significant a job.”

The issue of deployed theatre of operations, and the issue of the divide between warlike and non-warlike service, also made regular appearances:

“UN Peacekeeping in Africa? You can tell by the level of interest and the difficulty getting replacement nominations that nobody is interested in coming. Anybody who is able to be released is going to the ‘real’ (i.e. career enhancing) operations in Iraq or Afghanistan.”“This can vary - especially between warlike and non-warlike service. Both my deployments were categorised as non-warlike - yet I was deployed overseas for nearly 1.5 years which is longer than some warlike deployments…”

Question 3: “Do you feel that other (non-contemporary) veterans view your operational service equally?” Twenty-three per cent of respondents felt that their service was not viewed equally, while 62% were unsure. From certain responses it appeared that nomenclature, and the characterisation of “war”, played a role in driving this perception:

“Veterans in the past went to war, we go to ‘operations’. The selection of words is enough to differentiate the level of loss and discomfort. The old blokes know what we do and what they did.”“Not the peacekeeping or peace-enforcement deployments I conducted. Whether warlike or non-warlike, I don’t believe they view our service equally. I believe this may be different for the Afghanistan and Iraq service which is/was considered more ‘warlike’.”

Question 4: “Have you ever viewed your own service as being less worthy or deserving of recognition as that of others generally, without any comparison to specific conflicts?” Fifty-six percent of respondents stated that they had, and again offered their unique insights into why they felt this way. For some respondents, extrinsic factors had evidently impacted upon their view of their own service:

“Yes, I was made to feel that way for Afghanistan, because, and I quote ‘you never went outside the wire’. My experience has been that deploying with Australians were worse experiences, as ADF members are extremely critical and non-inclusive, when compared to UK and US [Force Elements]. Other ADF members have made me feel bad about my deployments.”“I got an ASM, other operations got an AASM. There is a distinction in the merit of the medal received straight away when you are seen wearing your medals. There is inbuilt prejudice immediately.”

For other respondents, inherently intrinsic and introspective factors motivated their thinking. For example:“Individual experiences, roles and tasks will vary inherent with the nature of service. Those in more conflict-orientated roles, taking a real risk and closing with the enemy are more worthy than those who are merely located in the same area of operations, but are far safer than others. This is not to say that this work is not required or important, but in the realm of recognition supporting roles exist to enable combatants to fight.”“There is a sense of level of sacrifice being inadequate compared to those from previous generations. Their level of suffering, prolonged absence and other conditions seem much greater than contemporary veterans.”“I believe the sacrifices I have made, and the challenges I have faced, are not as great as those who served in WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Before I deployed to the Middle East I also felt my service in East Timor was not as worthy as those who had served in Afghanistan and Iraq.”

The overwhelming factor which respondents felt negatively influenced the attitude of others towards the respondent’s operational service was whether they were Army, Navy or Air Force, along with their Corps, Category or Mustering. Half of the respondents indicated that they felt this played a part in how they were perceived by others. Explanations offered included:

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“As a member of a combat support corps, I think its assumed I’ve only ever sat in a FOB, and not actually been in danger or made a meaningful contribution to the main effort. Plus, I think I felt more in danger in some places in Rwanda on UN duties than in Iraq or Afghanistan.”“As a sailor deployed on army operations I found it hard to gain acceptance and earn the trust of the soldiers.”“The deployment of joint service personnel/capabilities has not matured within single service Task Groups. Outsiders are not welcomed and are excluded until they demonstrate that they’re ‘one of us’.”

One-third of respondents felt that their deployed role or position was a factor, particularly if that role or position limited their ability to venture outside the wire, while another third felt that their deployed location was a factor. Responses included:

“Despite being with the SOTG, not being a shooter from the two principal units brings with it a certain perception from outsiders. For example, of the awards I submitted for consideration for my staff, only one commendation and one [Commendation for Distinguished Service] were approved, due to ‘keeping an appropriate balance between support staff and the shooters.”“As soon as you say that you were a peacekeeper, you can’t have been in any real danger.”“Mostly due to my office-based job in comparison to people involved in fighting.”“Warlike operational service well removed from the country of conflict is considered less worthy than a deployment within the conflict nation.”“Deployed location - such as rear echelon support bases - are also considered ‘safe’ and not warlike.”

Half of the female respondents felt that their gender played a role in how their service was (negatively) perceived by others:

“There is a general view that how ‘hard’ you did it depends largely on what you did. Whilst this is true, it is no longer the case that only the arms corps are ‘on the front line’. I think finding a definition of ‘front line’ is also difficult. There is often surprise and an element of disbelief when I say what I did and where I went, due to gender and corps.”“As a female, there are perceptions that one has it easier than the men.”

An encounter with a WWII VeteranIn November 2013 I attended, in a ceremonial capacity, an award ceremony in Adelaide in which Arctic Stars (for WWII service north of the Arctic Circle) were conferred upon recipients some seven decades after they were earned. As I stood quietly to one side after the ceremony one of the recipients was moved to approach me for a chat.Having first sharply prodded my medals and fixed me with a disapproving glare, this elderly gentleman stated “I hope you earned those.” On being politely assured that I had in fact earned the medals I was wearing, he shook his head as if to clear his ears, glared at me again and said “no, I hope you actually earned those.” And so on and so forth until he stalked off, muttering under his breath and shaking his head in disbelief, apparently in some distress at my abject inability to realise that I was wearing medals I could not possibly have earned; that I was, in fact, an impostor.Perhaps this innate sense of competition is simply a by-product of military service, in which young, adventurous, ambitious and often high-achieving individuals are thrown together to sink or swim. Perhaps it is a by-product of the inherently hierarchical nature of the military, in which we each fall into our place, generally behind others. Perhaps it is simply generational, and no different to the manner in which each passing generation feels that subsequent generations have it easier than theirs did.

ConclusionI have come to wonder whether it should it be this way. Shouldn’t every veteran be able to take pride in the fact that they have served, regardless of when or where that service took place, and in what conditions? Shouldn’t each generation of veterans be comfortable in its own experiences and achievements?As technology advances, so too does the standard of living, both for military personnel and for civilians. But there remains a stark disparity between the conditions experienced by those serving on operations and those enjoyed by civilians on home soil. Just as civilian life today, with all its modern conveniences, is largely incomparable to that of 100 years ago, so too is military life and service.What matters is that we serve. We place ourselves—whether directly or indirectly—in harm’s way and we live through hardship and deprivation not imaginable to civilians of the same era. Surely that is something of which we can all be proud.

About the author:Major Sally Heidenreich (née Dipell) served as an officer in the Australian Regular Army until 2011, when she transferred to the Army Reserve in order to pursue a law degree. Sally now works in legal practice at the Adelaide office of Lipman Karas, an international specialist litigation firm. Her ongoing work in the Army Reserve largely revolves around the provision of specialist Japanese language support to bilateral Australia-Japan activities.

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A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY AT HEADQUARTERS 1 DIVISIONMajor Adam Christensen

Directorate of Reserve Officer Career Management - Army

IntroductionThis article is written to share and reflect on my experiences parading at Headquarters 1st Division/Deployable Joint Force Headquarters (HQ 1 DIV/DJFHQ). It provides an overview of the headquarters and details the two major exercises I supported whilst parading as a visitor in 2015. My experience shows how Reservists, by being well trained and flexible, add capability to Australian Defence Force (ADF) exercises at home and overseas.

HQ 1 DivisionHQ 1 DIV performs dual roles for the ADF. Firstly, the headquarters is a Functional Command of the Australian Army, and responsible to the Chief of Army for the operational generation of land forces. Secondly, the headquarters is prepared to form a scalable DJFHQ and be force assigned to Chief of Joint Operations (CJOPS) to plan, deploy, command and control (C2) Force Elements (FE) as part of a Joint Inter-Agency Task Force (JIATF). The headquarters is located within Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane, with approximately 250 full-time and part-time members. Contingency and short notice ADF operations in recent decades have proven the utility of the DJFHQ in providing a range of different C2 elements. These include the Support and Response Team (SRT), Joint Reconnaissance Team (JRT), Joint Planning Team (JPT), and Minor and Major JIATF headquarter capabilities. The requirements on the headquarters are very demanding, with Reserve members required to provide great flexibility to man exercises, operations and vacant Regular positions. HQ 1 DIV employs Reserve members in three different ways – personnel posted to a Reserve position number, personnel on CFTS contracts and employing Standby Reserve members on a DA50 contract. Reserve members working at the headquarters are extremely important, providing great service. It must be acknowledged that HQ 1 DIV is not an “everyday” posting for Reserve members. The Headquarters does not fit into the normal ‘Tuesday night, one weekend a month construct’. It’s very busy with the expectation that Reserve members are available to parade during business / office hours. As such the headquarters has 14 Reserve vacancies and is always looking to attract and retain talented and committed Reserve members. The OpportunityI had just completed a major project with my civilian employer in September 2015 and was looking for opportunities within Defence, when I saw a post on the ForceNet website. The J1 (Personnel) Branch of HQ 1 DIV were requesting support under the Reserve Projects group. I was interviewed by the J1, LTCOL Matthew Clarke before starting at the headquarters. Once there, I took advantage of all opportunities presented to me immediately, deploying twice to support major exercises before the end of 2015.

Commander of Joint Task Force 661 COL Kahlil Fegan (centre), meeting with officers of B Coy 6 RAR during a battle-field tour of the Exmouth Peninsula on Exercise Northern Shield 15

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Exercise Northern ShieldThe day I arrived at HQ 1 DIV, I was immediately employed as part of the Joint Planning Group planning a rapid deployment of a Joint Task Force to RAAF Learmonth, Western Australia. I had previous experience in a personnel position with my regular ARES posting, as a Career Advisor in the Career Advisory Group – Northern Region (CAG-NR); however the scope of being the J1 on a Joint Task Force was much broader than my Career Advisor role. To fulfil this function successfully, a rapid acquisition of knowledge was required. When you are part of a Joint Planning Group you are expected to be a Subject Matter Expert for your branch. From this I was deployed on Exercise Northern Shield 15 (Ex NS15), where I was appointed the J1 of Joint Task Force 661. Ex NS15 was a successful activity with approximately 1,000 members deploying to a remote location. The exercise proved the ADF could deploy a large joint force across significant distances quickly. Reserve members filled specialist roles in the Joint Task Force as well as CIMIC and RFSU patrols. More information on Ex NS15 can be found at: http://www.defence.gov.au/Exercises/NorthernShield/Media.aspExercise Southern KatipoMy second deployment was on Exercise Southern Katipo 15 (Ex SK15) in New Zealand, where I deployed for six weeks as the Commander Australian Contingent (COMASC). Ex SK15 is the largest New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) exercise and is their biennial capstone amphibious activity. NZDF’s aim for the exercise is to validate their amphibious capabilities and demonstrate the ability to respond appropriately to humanitarian assistance or security situations within the South West Pacific region. It also provides an opportunity to exercise the ANZAC Ready Reaction Force (RRF). The ADF deployed a contingent of 156 personnel to New Zealand for the exercise, with representatives from all three services. In total 11 Reservists deployed as part of Ex SK15, contributing specialist skills with CIMIC, Safety, Air Traffic Control, Medical and Psych. It was very pleasing to see how the Reservists were able to seamlessly integrate into the Australian Contingent. As with Ex NS 15, the deployment on Ex SK15 was short notice. I was asked if I was interested on a Friday, received a deployment order on the Monday to deploy on the Tuesday. Again, the flexibility and agility of the Reservists was demonstrated. Ex SK15 was a highpoint for me. It was an extremely rewarding exercise and I was proud of our contribution. Wherever I went I saw ADF and NZDF forces working side by side. The conduct of the exercise exemplified the true ANZAC spirit. In particular, where the NZDF were building capability that ADF already had it was great that we could provide a coaching and mentoring role to our ANZAC brothers. Vice versa the NZDF training is quite different to ours, and ADF members were able to learn new and different ways to operate. The mutual learning on the exercise is amazing to see.

The exercise was successful with both ADF and NZDF achieving the exercise goals. The ADF takes great pride in preparing soldiers and officers for overseas deployments and every piece of feedback I received about the Australian contingent was very positive. Looking back at the exercise I feel privileged to be given the opportunity to be COMASC. As a Reserve Major to get the opportunity to fill the role of a Lieutenant Colonel in an international tri-service environment was amazing. It was hard work, but I am extremely proud of the work that the contingent and I completed. More information on Ex SK15 can be found in the Army Newspaper (edition 1365 released 03 Dec 15).

Personnel from the Australian and New Zealand Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC) team on Exercise Southern Katipo 15, in the main street of Havelock, New Zealand. All Aus-

tralian CIMIC representatives are Reserve members posted to Headquarters 5th Brigade.

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Some Reflections1. Flexibility. Reserve members are contributing more to the ADF with roles requiring more than Tuesday nights and weekends. My three months experience parading with HQ 1 DIV have demonstrated to me that Reservists can enhance capability more than ever before, but these members are required to be more flexible. For both my deployments, the notice to move was extremely short. My ability to remain flexible served me well and aided the headquarters at a critical time. Flexibility is valued by ADF and increases its agility.2. Trust your military training. Your training has provided you a solid military knowledge base, giving you an excellent foundation to specialise and implement new learnings. I found the skills I developed at Command and Staff College (Reserve) were particularly useful during these deployments. In both deployments I was put into an environment where I had not worked before, but I trusted my military training and the lessons learnt were beneficial.3. Trust yourself. You would not be human if you did not question yourself when stretched; however, you would not be afforded opportunities if more senior commanders did not think you could do the job. 4. Ask questions. This is a great way for you to learn more about a force and shows that you care about it. On Ex SK15 I was Commander for RAAF and RAN elements and I did not have a detailed understanding of their skills and capabilities. Asking questions was a great way to get a deeper understanding of their role and build rapport. 5. Liaise, liaise, liaise. On both deployments there were times when more information was required to make accurate decisions. Do not sit back and wait for information to be presented to you – you need to ‘fight for information.’ Build your network of contacts and maintain constant communications with them. This networking and liaison will build an intelligence picture that will enable better decision making. Conclusion This article has provided an overview of HQ 1 DIV, highlighting the role of the headquarters and the dynamic tasks it performs for the ADF. There are amazing opportunities for Reserve members, but the operational tempo requires members to parade during business hours. My circumstances allowed me to parade at the headquarters in late 2015 and opportunities were afforded me to deploy on Ex NS15 as the J1 and Ex SK15 as the COMASC. My experience shows how Reservists, by being well trained and flexible, can add capability to ADF exercises at home and overseas.

HRH Prince Charles (centre front) joins staff from the Headquarters Combined Joint Task Force (HQ CJTF) during the Roy-al Tour of New Zealand. Westport Racecourse was the step-up location of the HQ CJTF during Exercise Southern Katipo.

About the Author: Major Adam Christensen is an Army Reserve member posted to Career Management – Army, working in the Directorate of Reserve Officer Career Management at Career Advisory Group – Northern Region. He is the Career Advisor for Logistic Reserve Officers in Queensland. In his civilian career he is a Senior Operations Manager who specialises in the operation of food manufacturing facilities.

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MUSLIM PARTICIPATION IN WORLD WAR I Major Kevin Walsh RFD (Retd)

Defence Reserves Association - Victoria

IntroductionThe Australian Regular Army was not formed until 1947 and it is the former Militia and Army Reserve units which carry the Battle Honours won in both the First and Second World Wars. In 1993 I was chosen to be the Guard Commander of the Royal Victoria Regimental Guard that went to Villers Bretonneaux in France to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of that battle. This commemoration was a self-funded venture as the book “Never Forget Australia” records. My Commanding Officer had suggested in his resource plan, a commemoration in order for the Regiment to honour its forebears, but the Army, cash strapped as it often is, declined to fund it.In order to ensure that the soldiers who served in France would be remembered, a key part of 75th Anniversary pilgrimage to Villers Bretonneux was to produce a document recording both the trip and the why of the trip, the result of which is the book “Never Forget Australia” available in most public libraries. During the research for the book (authored by others) I noted that the 1st Moroccan Division attacked Hangard Wood the next day on the flank of Villers Bretonneux in an attempt to exploit the initial success. Having a Lebanese wife, I am interested in all things Arabic and Islamic and so my attention was captured on discovering that Muslims fought on our side in WWI.

Commemorating the Battles of WWIWith the ongoing commemoration of the 100 year anniversaries of battles from the 1st World War, and being aware that inclusiveness has been identified in a recent speech by Professor Rory Medcalf of The Australian National University as a key value that is needed to promote our security, I have written this article on the role and sacrifice of Muslims in the 1st World War to show that far from challenging Australian values, Muslims have in the past stood by our side in defending them.Undoubtedly, World War I was a series of destructive battles with casualties on a massive scale. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers sacrificed their lives. Nations remember their war heroes for their services for the homeland; yet there are others whose services are forgotten in the post-colonial world (The Guardian, 2009). Areas dominated by the colonial powers were not directly involved in the war but proved their loyalty by serving on behalf of their Empires. British India and French colonies played a significant role in the war, but after attaining home rule, contributions of the war heroes from these areas were forgotten and largely went unnoticed. A large percentage of armed men from the colonies were composed of Muslims. Muslim-dominated French colonies including Algeria, Morocco, Senegal and others lost more than 40,000 troops during the war. The British Indian Army consisted of thousands of Muslim soldiers who also suffered a large number of causalities. There were a small number of Muslims serving with the British Indian forces on Gallipoli including the 29th Indian Infantry Brigade which was to form part of the ANZAC Division. “Out of the countless military adventures, Gallipoli campaign 1915-16 is a feather in the cap of Muslim soldiers participating in World War-I in support of Allied forces” (Balesh Singh Dhankhar, 2014). The battle to capture Villers Bretonneux in 1918 in France was a great success for Australian troops but many Muslim soldiers from 1st Moroccan Division also played their part in this episode. Other Muslim contributions during WWI include Albanian troops and the Arab Revolt. In all it is estimated that not including the casualties suffered in the Arab Revolt, over 89,000 Muslims were killed in action.

British Indian Muslims on GallipoliBritish India and its Army supported their colonial bosses in WWI by providing both financial assistance as well as manpower. Around 1.5 million men were recruited into the British Indian Army for the World War out of which more than 90% served oversees. Troops sent on overseas missions belonged to different ethnic backgrounds including Punjabi Sikhs, Rajputs and Punjabi Muslims. Shahamad Khan, a Punjabi Muslim and a member of the 89th Punjabi Regiment which landed on Gallipoli V Beach on the 1st May and fought in the battle of Gurkha Bluff, later won a VC whilst fighting in Mesopotamia in 1916. Political campaigns such as the Khilafat Movement had an impact on the Muslim contingents of the Indian Army and some of the soldiers deserted due to their emotional attachment to the Sultan of Turkey. The hilly terrains of Gallipoli posed a big challenge for the Indian Army, which is why only the finest of the armed men were selected for the campaign. Initially only 5000 soldiers were sent to Gallipoli in 1915, but the number increased immensely to more than 75000 by the end of the campaign. The most important contributors from the Indian Army to the campaign of Gallipoli included 7th Indian Mountain Artillery Brigade and the 29th Indian Infantry Brigade both of which at times served in ANZAC (The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) and in logistics units such as the Indian mule transport service. During the battle of Sari Bair, considered one of the greatest soldier battles of all time, the Indian Brigade proved its worth and fought on to the

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the end regardless of a shortage of necessary munitions including artillery shells, machine guns and even grenades. Poor communication, lack of trained officers and inadequate strategic planning and resourcing also contributed to a large number of casualties among allied forces. Gunner Jan Muhammad of the 7th Indian Mountain Artillery Brigade, (which was a mix of about half Muslim and half Sikh soldiers) was a notable soldier during the battle; he managed to fire 17 out of 22 shells into the gun ports of a Turkish battery with a faulty gun. He was awarded the Indian Order of Merit for this act (Shantu Das, 2015). The courage and bravery of the Indian Infantry forces which had only a small number of Muslims by this time in their ranks (the 69th and 89th Punjabi Regiments having been withdrawn), can be assessed by the fact that they lost around 4000 soldiers in this battle in trying conditions. Winston Churchill regarded the Indian Army as a key element of the British forces in WWI. British Army commander Field Marshall Sir Claude Auchinleck, also appreciated the incredible services provided by the Indian Army for British Empire. The Indian Army served with honour in Gallipoli but their contribution is largely neglected and their heroics all but forgotten. A key reason for this may be that it was relegated to part of Australian and New-Zealand Army Corps and later on its service was considered to be part of the political history of British colonial India and not that of modern India or Pakistan. French Colonial Muslims in FranceLike Britain, the French drew on their colonies for troops and resources during the War. They drew troops from Algeria, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Tunisia and Chad. Overall numbers of Muslim soldiers from these forces killed in action fighting in France are estimated at around 59,000.

Villers BretonneuxApril 1918 brought serious concerns for Villers Bretonneux, the gateway to Amiens being a key railway centre. The German forces captured the village on 24th April. But it was not held for long as the Australians encircled and trapped the German forces overnight. The next day (ANZAC Day) they managed to regain control of the village with the support of a British Unit that launched an attack from the front. One of the best Divisions of the French Army, 1st Moroccan (the Lions of Morocco) advanced through the Australian lines in an attempt to recapture the Haggard Wood area north of Villers Bretonneux on 26th April but the attack in daylight failed. The successful adventure of Villers Bretonneux was supported by 1st Moroccan and British Army Units but there were more than 12,000 Australian casualties along with a further 4,500 casualties from 1st Moroccan Division on the next day in Haggard Wood. Although the main losses during the whole episode were born by the Australian forces, the services rendered by Muslim soldiers of the 1st Moroccan Division cannot be ignored.

The Arab Revolt The Arab Revolt started under the command of Sharif Hussein ibn Ali in 1916 was an important part of the First World War. Ottoman generals faced difficulties coping with the attacks by Arabs in the areas of Makah, Ta’aif, Medina and Jeddah. British forces rendered full support of the Arab alliance to dismantle the control and power of Turkish caliphate through naval battleships and tying up of Ottoman troops in Gallipoli. Rebel Arab clans along with Sharif Hussein supported the British Army by engaging Ottoman troops in Hijaz while the British forces advanced their way into Palestine, Jordan, Syria and other Arab countries.

The Commemoration of the Muslim Contribution to WWI The Muslim contribution during World War 1 should not be neglected and their services in the various battle grounds of Allied forces should be remembered. The great Paris Mosque was constructed by France in 1926 to honour the sacrifices of around 100,000 Muslim soldiers who lost their lives while fighting against Germany in WWI. French officials also constructed a Memorial for the 1st Moroccan Division located in Vimy Ridge. Muslim soldiers regardless of the problems in training and equipment, stood firm and did their duty during the war on the solid foundations of strong belief and a sense of responsibility. About the authorKevin Walsh served as a Sapper then Infantry officer in the Army Reserve in Victoria from 1977 till 1998 in various regimental and staff postings (including some three years on CFTS as SO3 Ops HQ 4 BDE). He was tasked by Commander 4 Brigade to give a presentation on Islam and the Arabic culture in 1989 as he has a Lebanese born wife and has been interested in matters related to Islam and the Arabic culture for obvious reasons ever since. He now lectures in International Management and Accounting at Chisolm Institute of TAFE Dandenong Victoria. He wrote this paper with help from Fazeelat Mazhar, Pakistan Freelance Writer, via the on-line service Freelancer.

Kevin Walsh next to a Muslim Grave at Villers Brettoneux Cemetery (1993)

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11TH BRIGADE SOLDIERS WIN MILITARY SKILLS TROPHYCaptain William Heck & Private Julia Whitwell Headquarters 11th Brigade - Public Relations

IntroductionIt may have not been the Cambrian Patrol or the Duke of Gloucester (DOG) Cup but the 40 soldiers standing on the start line in the pre-dawn Brisbane darkness of an early March morning felt as much pride and anticipation as any elite soldier competing for a coveted trophy. Five teams, representing the various Reserve Brigades from around the country, were about to undergo a 30 hour ordeal of physical endurance and mental toughness to earn the right to win the 2nd Division Commander’s trophy. The event was hosted by the Commander of 11th Brigade, Brigadier Bill Date who said, “We have a fantastic facility here, and we have excellent support staff, and this was a great opportunity for us to utilise these for the further development of 2nd Division soldiers. The soldiers we have here competing are very fit, they have excellent leadership skills and their military training is first class. These are elite soldiers and to win this competition means as much to them as what winning the DOG Cup means to an ARA soldier.”

The CompetitionThe military skills competition ran over two days and included 16 scored activities kicking off with a three kilometre pre-dawn battle-run on Saturday morning. The teams then rotated through various stands throughout the day and into the night, including a section attack, engineer construction, a stretcher carry, navigation, and first aid stands. Section 2IC of the 13th Brigade team, Lance Corporal Dorn Nguyen said the competition tested the soldiers on a number of different military skills. “Some of the activities were just about pushing through the pain, and others required us to really concentrate under pressure. It was a great competition and we

showed that even though we are a small Brigade we punch way above our weight.”On Sunday morning only three events remained and just a handful of points separated the top three teams. This was when the home team, the lads from the 11th Brigade’s 9th Battalion The Royal Queensland Regiment (9 RQR), stepped up and dominated the muscle conditioning course, the bayonet assault course, and finished with the top score on the live fire range shoot.Trophy PresentationMajor General Stephen Porter, Commander of 2nd Division, presented the trophy to a very tired but proud 11th Brigade team, with the teams from 8th Brigade and 5th Brigade placing second and third respectively.Warrant Officer Class One Andrew Roberts, Regimental Sergeant Major of 11th Brigade, said he will be happy to see the trophy take pride of place in the 9 RQR’s John French VC Club. “Our boys did extremely well, and I’m proud of their performance over the weekend. They were the best team and they lifted on the final day to prove that to the other teams and most importantly to themselves. This was a great competition and a real pleasure to watch because every soldier involved made it his business to take this competition to a new level and show that Reserve soldiers have what it takes to mix it with the best.”

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A SOLDIER AT SEA - DEPLOYING ON OPERATION RESOLUTE Lance Corporal Aaron Hayhurst

5th/6th Battalion, The Royal Victorian Regiment

In 2014, Bravo Company, 5/6th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment contributed soldiers to the tri-service (Navy, Army and Air Force) Transit Security Element (TSE) 72 & 74 as part of Operation Resolute - the ADF’s contribution to the whole of government effort to protect Australia’s borders and offshore maritime interests. This exceptional opportunity gave soldiers of the company the opportunity to provide continuous full-time service (CFTS) in a diverse and unique environment.I was deployed as a section 2IC on TSE 74, and this commenced with a comprehensive force preparation training phase at HMAS Cerberus in Victoria which included military self-defence, defensive tactics, population protection and control, boarding party training and pistol training. Once complete, the rotation concentrated in Darwin for some further training that encompassed a range of maritime and scenario based exercises. This phase culminated with a challenging collective training/certification exercise that provided members an opportunity to display a range of newly acquired skills.Having received certification, TSE 74 was force assigned to Operation Resolute. During the following months, members of the rotation embarked on Armidale class patrol boats, major fleet units and customs vessels.

Early on in the TSE 74 rotation, we were involved with the search for a Pakistani sailor who went missing during Exercise Kakadu. This provided us an opportunity to assist in conducting a cordon and search type task.Life at sea varied significantly depending on the type of vessel an individual was assigned to. Almost all of my sea time was spent aboard HMAS Newcastle, an Adelaide Class Guided Missile Frigate (FFG). While aboard, our primary task was to provide security supplementation to the ship’s company. Daily life aboard the ship commenced with ‘call to hands’ (reveille equivalent with a boatswain’s whistle) and consisted of a robust training program, scenario

based training, physical training, assisting the ship’s company, cleaning, laundry work and the occasional few days of terrible sea sickness, all while the ship’s company conducted their relevant jobs ultimately allowing the ship to conduct its maritime patrolling program.Faced with some challenging conditions such as cramped living arrangements and seasickness, the environment also had some abnormal (for a rifleman), but welcome aspects such as a comfortable bed, hot showers, toilet, limited wi-fi access and most importantly exceptionally good food.Time back on land consisted of a training program, scenario based training, physical training and visits to regular Army units. Fortunately the Rotation had ample recreation time that allowed members to enjoy Northern Territory tourist sites. This diverse and unique experience exposed Bravo Company soldiers to a tri-service maritime security environment and the opportunity to further support the protection of Australia’s borders. If you have the opportunity to deploy on Operation Resolute or similar go for it.

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TASMAN SCHEME EXPERIENCEWORKING WITH THE NZDF CHAPLAINCY TEAM

Corporal Natalie Eagles27 Squadron RAAF Reserve

IntroductionI was initially recruited into the Australian Defence Force as an Army Reservist Clerk Admin in Perth and joined A SQN 10Light Horse regiment where I stayed for approximately three years prior to relocating to Townsville with my husband-to-be. In Townsville I worked with both 11BASB and the RTC Unit at Lavarack Barracks before transferring to the Airforce Reserves after 8.5 years in the “green machine”.In 2006 I left “civvy street” to become a part-time Reservist working 3-4 days a week at RAAF Townsville and have been enjoying this role ever since. The flexibility of my role has allowed me to be a part of my children’s schooling, a volunteer in the community, and given our family a great work/life balance.At RAAF Townsville I have been working in a unique role as an Admin Assistant to the RAAF Chaplains and RAAF Base Warrant Officer Disciplinary (WOD) - for both Permanent and Reserve members since 2010. There’s never a dull moment in the Chaplaincy Centre with Mental Health Courses one week, and a Court hearing the next. Both the Padre and the Base WOD are based in the one building but at opposite ends and as a result there have been suggestions we need new external signage stating “Judgement” for the Base WOD and “Redemption” for the Chaplains – including large arrows highlighting their individual locations!

Surprise Nomination for the TASMAN SchemeI was unaware that my previous Padre – CHAP Cam Carroll – had nominated me in Dec 2013 for the TASMAN Scheme, so it was quite a shock to receive a call from MAJ Hincks on 24 April 2014 advising me that I had made it to the second round in the nomination process. It certainly made my day as it also happened to be my birthday!The TASMAN Scheme was initiated by the Defence Reserves Association (DRA) and is sponsored by the Cadet, Reserve and Employer Support Division (CRESD).It aims to promote Reserve service by providing opportunities for high-performing junior non-commissioned officers (JNCOs) of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Reserves to undertake a two week secondment with the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF). The Scheme rewards their dedication and commitment to Reserve service, while strengthening the ties and promoting interoperability between the ADF and NZDF.

My experience of the NZ Tri-Service ChaplaincyThe NZDF Chaplaincy team is also known as the “purple service” due to all three services working together i.e. Navy Chaplain at an Airforce Base, Airforce Chaplain at an Army Base, etc. I arrived at RNZAF Base Auckland at Whenuapai on the 20 Apr 15 where I was based for the first week of my secondment and I was hosted by CHAP Janie McPhee (Airforce), CHAP Colin Mason (Navy), and Lisa De Jong (Chaplaincy Admin Auckland). During my time I undertook a Base wide visit of all facilities which also included a meeting with the Base Commander – GPCAPT Tim Walsh. The team at the Parachute Training Support Unit invited me on a familiarisation flight around the outskirts of the city of Auckland and I thoroughly enjoyed the unique views from such small plane. We visited the Youth Development Unit at Hobsonville and I saw the remaining remnants of some Airforce hangars which were being dismantled following the closure of the Hobsonville Airforce base and sale of the land to the NZ Government in 2002. The Hobsonville and Whenuapai bases merged to form RNZAF Base Auckland in 1965.Along with CHAP Stuart Hight, I attended the Anzac Day Dawn service and midday Civic service at the Auckland Museum, followed by a post-service gathering at the Hobsonville Returned Services Association (RSA). The following day I attended a Sunday service at a local Church with CHAP McPhee and her husband WOFF Jake McPhee with all of us in full service dress as CHAP McPhee was presenting an Anzac Day speech and sermon.Other activities during this first week included a familiarisation ride in a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) and a tour of the Devonport Naval Base. I managed to see Auckland and beyond from the city’s Sky Tower and also took part in a pub quiz night as the honorary Aussie. Sadly, I failed the only Aussie question of the night - must have been too much pressure!The second week of my time with the NZDF was spent visiting various Bases/Camps as CHAP Mason and I travelled down the North Island via the scenic route. We managed to stop in at the Waiouru Military Camp as well as the nearby National Army Museum, followed by a visit to the Linton Army Camp which included a ‘meet and greet’ with the resident Chaplains.RNZAF Base Ohakea was my next place to live in for a couple of nights and I did a tour of the Base and attended a spouse/dependant’s morning tea that was coordinated by the Defence Community Coordinator. Due to time restraints

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I was unable to squeeze in a familiarisation flight in one of the retiring Hueys. My hosts, CHAP Ra Koia (Army) and CHAP Murray Thompson (Airforce), were full of knowledge and made my short time at Ohakea very enjoyable.Last place to temporarily call home was the Trentham Military Camp where CHAP Darren O’Callaghan (Army) and Sian Scannell (Chaplaincy Admin Wellington) were my hosts in the last few days of my secondment. Sian took me on a tour of the Base including a visit to the Youth Development Unit for a couple of training sessions and it was Sian who also enabled me to visit the New Zealand Museum – Te Papa Tongarewa and the Pukeahu National War Memorial prior to my flight home on 01 May 15.

ConclusionIt was interesting to note that there are no uniformed admin staff in the NZDF anymore, with the roles being combined into a Defence Shared Services team which is staffed by civilians and ex NZDF personnel. These sections are located at the major bases throughout New Zealand.Prior to departing for New Zealand I had gathered a variety of resources from Defence Force Recruiting, DCO, Regional Mental Health, VVCS, and Mates 4 Mates which I managed to distribute to most base Chaplains during my travels

and they were very well received. Since returning home I have sent further items of interest to CHAP McPhee at Whenuapai for further distribution.The whole experience was an amazing opportunity to learn and share the what/when/how and who in relation to Chaplaincy Administration and welfare supports for members both in Australia and New Zealand. I strongly encourage all senior leaders to consider nominating junior NCOs in the Tasman Scheme. Not only is it a wonderful experience but recognises and rewards the outstanding work contributions by Reservists in all three services.As a thank you and reminder of my visit I presented CHAP McPhee with a plaque prior to leaving Auckland (see photo). I believe it now hangs in the Chaplaincy Centre at RNZAF Auckland.My family and I are now planning a family holiday to New Zealand in 2016 which will definitely include visits to my now extended Chaplaincy family.

Are you interested in participating in the Tasman Scheme? The Tasman Scheme is sponsored by the Head of Cadets, Reserve and Employer Support Division in conjunction with the Defence Reserves Association.The Tasman Scheme aims to promote Reserve service by providing opportunities for junior non-commissioned officers to undertake training with the New Zealand Defence Force, and to promote inter-operability between the Austral-ian Defence Force and the New Zealand Defence Force. The Scheme is conducted in conjunction with the Defence Reserves Association.Currently serving Reservists of the rank of Leading Seaman, Lance Corporal or Corporal, regardless of trade or spe-cialisation, may be nominated for the Tasman Scheme provided they meet the eligibility criteria. Applicant must be a serving member with at least three years of Reserve service including at least one year as a JNCO. The Scheme allows selected Reserve junior non-commissioned officers to be seconded to the New Zealand Defence Force for two weeks.Details on the Scheme, including eligibility criteria, are contained in MILPERSMAN, Part 8, Chapter 3 - Tasman Scheme, or contact your local Defence Reserves Support office on 1800 803 485.Nomination form AE350 ‘Tasman Scheme Nomination’ can be found on Webforms.

Nominations for the 2016-17 year are currently being sought

CPL Natalie Eagles (RAAFAR) and CHAP Janie McPhee (RNZAF).

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TASMAN SCHEME REPORTTRANS-TASMAN CO-OPERATION PROVIDES ENHANCED INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES

Flight Lieutenant Nicholas O’Connor Public Affairs Officer - 28 Squadron RAAF

The opportunity to work alongside his trans-Tasman counterparts has provided Defence Force Reservist Corporal Kirk Bellotti with an ‘experience of a lifetime’.A member of the Australian Defence Force Investigative Service (ADFIS), CPL Bellotti recently took part in the Cadet, Reserve and Employer Support Division and Defence Reserves Association sponsored Tasman Scheme.The Tasman Scheme aims to promote Reserve service by providing opportunities for Reserve junior non-commissioned officers to undertake training with the New Zealand Defence Force, and to promote interoperability between the Australian Defence Force and the New Zealand Defence Force.CPL Bellotti spent two weeks working with the New Zealand Defence Force (Military Police) Special Investigation Branch (SIB).While working with his New Zealand colleagues CPL Bellotti had the opportunity to broaden his knowledge on

investigation processes, while also passing on some expertise of his own.“I was involved in investigations and interview planning where I identified an offence not known to the NZ SIB,” CPL Bellotti said.This resulted in charges being laid and the matter is progressing. I observed, while the NZ SIB is still a new investigative group they are very open for input from those with similar skills sets.”He quickly established himself as an excellent source of knowledge for senior New Zealand investigative personnel.“I had input into meetings chaired by the Company Sergeant Major (CSM) who valued my advice on investigative matters.” CPL Bellotti has spent 21 years in the Australian Defence Force. He joined the ADFIS in November 2011.The ADFIS is the body responsible for complex and major investigations involving the Australian Defence Force. They conduct investigations of serious incidents and crimes involving persons subject to Defence Force Discipline Act jurisdiction. The ADFIS is a ‘tri-service’ unit and is staffed by 150 members of the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force. It was established in 2007 and is headquartered in Canberra.CPL Bellotti’s civilian job is as a Detective Sergeant with the Queensland Police Service attached to the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC). The CCC is a statutory body established to combat and reduce the incidence of major crime and corruption in the public sector in Queensland.CPL Bellotti encouraged all Commanders of eligible ADF

Reserve members to consider nominating them to take part in the Tasman Scheme. “I was nominated for the Tasman Scheme which provided me the opportunity to travel and work overseas in a like-minded environment. In that two week period with the NZ SIB I built up some great contacts. I keep in contact with them regularly.”Nominations for the Tasman Scheme for the 2016-17 FY are now open and will be assessed in May / June 2016.Reservists of the rank of Leading Seaman, Lance Corporal or Corporal, regardless of trade or specialisation, may be nominated for the Tasman Scheme provided they meet the eligibility criteria. The Scheme allows selected Reserve junior non-commissioned officers to be seconded to the New Zealand Defence Force for two weeks.For further information on the Tasman Scheme contact your local Defence Reserves Support office on 1800 803 485 or visit the Tasman Scheme page http://www.defencereservessupport.gov.au/for-reservists/reserve-awards/

Corporal Kirk Bellotti at Trentham Camp NZ

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MY KAPOOKA VIP CHALLENGE 2015 EXPERIENCE Mr Wes Allen

Business Unit Executive, Social Business & Smarter Workforce, IBM Australia Ltd

With optimism, I accepted an invitation from Lieutent Colonel Russ Mullins of Defence Reserves Support to attend the Kapooka VIP challenge in late May 2015. The opportunity to network with other business leaders, be challenged by physical activities and learn the business of one of IBM’s largest customers was a powerful attraction.

Over the 2 days in Wagga Wagga we were offered unique experiences such as reviewing the Navy’s latest training helicopter, sharing a Hot Box lunch with recruits, trying the hi-wire course, abseiling, flying fox and lastly rising at 5:00am to perform target practice in the rifle range simulator. What I learnt about Defence over the 2 days went past challenging physical activities. Fundamentally Defence has a role in national security, which is strongly tied to inducting, training and deploying people and resources.

As the leader for IBM Smarter Workforce, I was naturally interested in the people side of the business and how Defence manage to engage and motivate such a large and diverse group. This came down to 3 things, strong sense of purpose driven by the over-arching mission, married to leadership driven by core Defence values of Courage, Respect, Initiative, Teamwork, and programs which activate recruits intrinsically to follow a moral compass. Engagement using strengths is strongly supported by IBM’s Smarter Workforce research that suggests the strongest drivers of Employee Engagement include identification and alignment with an overarching mission and purpose, along with quality of collaboration, teamwork and diversity.

During the challenge we observed strengths of the Defence program coming through over many interactions. From the pride displayed by the Defence Reserves Support team for their mission, open interest and communication from the young recruits, skill of instructors as well as an open and approachable style adopted by the Base Commandant Colonel Steve Jobson and Head of Reserves and Employer Support Division, Major General Iain Spence. Equally telling was the approach to diversity, with units fully integrating female and male recruits from a variety of backgrounds and the respect shown by the command team for local returned service personnel at the graduation parade.

A black tie function on the Thursday night proved to further display the support and interest of other business people present as we were treated to a presentation and discussion on the disaster facing Nepal and how former Reservists have been able to utilise their training in corporate life. It’s clear recruits who attend either 12 weeks training as Regular Army soldiers or 4 weeks initial training as Reservists are changed as a result. Sitting with parents of recruits at the graduation parade suggested their families hardly recognised the son, daughter, brother or sister who left them just weeks before, returned as a polished, drilled and fit individual displaying a new sense of pride in service.

The intent of the Kapooka VIP challenge is to show employers the value of supporting Reservists and their service and I concluded there are a number of benefits to being a Reserves Supportive Employer. A primary benefit is that Reservists are willing to push themselves to the limits for something they believe in. My experience was of polite, emotionally intelligent and flexible individuals who must adapt to the demands of the training. The instructors who train them are deeply competent and passionate about bringing out the best in everyone and use encouragement and positive psychology as their approach. No recruit is forced to complete training or activities they aren’t comfortable to attempt. Lastly the leadership training offered, practical experience and presentation skills required to be successful as unit leaders is similar to that we invest in as employers.

Three additional thoughts came to mind when in residence at Kapooka. Firstly the possibilities of further harnessing and engaging school cadet units as a way to introduce young people to the values and experiences of Defence, and secondly could we further integrate Reserves and employers - possibly through development of leadership training offered by Defence personnel to corporations as a paid service?

As a technology leader I also reflected on the opportunity for social and collaboration technologies to continue engagement of recruits and units in the long periods between attending face-to-face programs. It seemed that communities of interest created to securely share information and collect thoughts and experiences from recruits during lay-overs could be valuable, both in terms of the engagement it could drive for the recruits and the learning itself. As a result of the opportunity, I’m more informed about the business of Defence and value it brings to employers and Australia.

I’d like to thank Majar General Iain Spence, Colonle Steve Jobson, Lieutent Colonel Russ Mullins, Jenny Duke and my fellow attendees for the great opportunity and experience. If you have the opportunity to attend either an Exercise Executive Stretch or a VIP Challenge I highly recommend it.

Further information on Exercise Executive Stretch or a VIP Challenge can be found at: http://www.defencereservessupport.gov.au/for-employers/get-the-reservist-experience/

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A TOUR OF ANZAC COVE - APRIL 2015John Bradbury

Defence Reserves Association - South Australia

IntroductionOn 24 April 2015 I was fortunate enough to be taken to Anzac Cove along with the majority of the cruise ships passengers. This cruise had as its main feature a stop for a day at the cove, one day short of the 100th anniversary of the initial landing. Most of the passengers were Australian and some had long departed relatives who had landed there 100 years ago or a little later. It was interesting to find that the ship was not going to anchor at the beach site itself, but rather it anchored in the inside of the peninsular and we tourists had to hop into the life boats and be taken to the small port of Gallipoli to meet our buses. These buses belted across the peninsular to the Southern end of the Cove where we were able to look at an information board showing details of the whole area. The board contained facts for all interesting sites such as Ari Burnu, Popes, Courteneys, The Nek and Lone Pine and many others.We then remounted the buses and drove to the Anzac Cove itself. I was very surprised at the amount of roadways that now exist on the hilly features.

ANZAC CoveMy first sight was of the ‘Sphinx’. One hundred years ago it stood large and imposing and must have been an awfully difficult objective for the men. Now, after one hundred years of rain and summer winds and heat the Sphinx is only a shadow of its original stature. At least two thirds of it has eroded away and it was hardly recognisable. In another 30 years it will probably be gone. I wandered about and found Popes then Courtneys’ posts. The size of them was nothing less than astounding. They were postage size pieces of land and were all looked over by a ridge of hills not 200 meters away.

Lone PineBack on the bus and we motored around to Lone Pine. The original Pine was destroyed by fire many years ago so the authorities planted another in its place. This area was heavily visited this day and lines of people stood awaiting their turn to enter the memorial on the site. I got in eventually and signed the book. Outside a wall commemorated the dead of the actions here and I managed to get a couple of pictures of 3 and 9 Light Horse member’s names who lost their lives here. It was again a quiet place despite there being upwards of 2000 people milling about. There is a cemetery on sight and it is worth a look.The NekNext stop was the Nek. I always had it in mind that this was a large area. Well much to my surprise I found it was a very small site indeed. To get to it one had to walk down the hillside and onto the plateau. Very little of the fortifications remain but it is worth the time to look and marvel at what our soldiers had to endure to hold on to it.The vegetation of the area, undisturbed for some 99 years, has grown. Trees called (I believe) Gallipoli Oaks grow right over the area and are up to 4 meters high. I have to say that this growth of vegetation has messed up the view of the whole area. You may recall seeing pictures of men in trenches and men climbing hills. Well now you would be lucky to see 50 meters in a straight line such is the growth about the place.New Zealand memorial My third last port of call was the New Zealand memorial at Achi Burnu. My two NZ mates were keen to look at it. Surprisingly it was not yet complete and we all wondered how they would manage to finish by the next day. Now this place is very significant as it was the last ridge line on the peninsula. From this point it was all downhill to the sea. Standing where the trenches used to be I could see the sea a long way away. The NZ forces lost a huge number of men in taking the area and their memorial is a wall inscribed with the names of the fallen. The New Zealanders handed over to the British two days later and they (unfortunately) lost the gains made by the New Zealanders. There is no doubt in my mind that had the British held the place the campaign would have eventually resolved itself to be a win for the Allies. Turkish troops holding back the British and French on the foot of the peninsular must have withdrawn or faced disaster.

Turkish Regiment MemorialMy second last call was to memorial to the Turkish 57 Regiment which was quite close to Lone Pine. This regiment was killed to a man in its efforts to hold the advancing Australians. I wandered through the hundred maybe two hundred grave sites which had names on marker stones. Behind, an imposing wall featured some details of the unit’s history. Behind this again were two or three mass graves with no names thereon. It was really heart rending to see it. Shot down to the last man! And that was symptomatic of many Turkish units at Gallipoli. I have read that the estimate of

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Turkish dead on the peninsular was as high as 80,000 men. The cost to Australia was somewhat over 8,000. Nearby were some reconstructed Turkish trenches. They criss-crossed the upper areas winding in and out of the trees. Anyone taller than two feet would have been a target for a gun toting soldier. The trenches must have been worked up to a reasonable height by sand bags.Beach Cemetery My last call was to the Beach cemetery where I wandered about looking at the graves. Accidentally I found the grave of 3 Field Ambulance (my National Service Unit) member John Simpson Kirkpatrick who served as Private John Simpson and with his donkey evacuated wounded soldiers to the aid stations. Wandering from the Beach cemetery

I found myself on a slight rise on which there had been erected a stone tablet with a copy of the “Mothers” speech by Mustafa Kemal. I am afraid that it was here that I lost it! Tears were welling up in my eyes when I heard a voice say “G’day mate”. I looked up and found a pleasant looking young lady standing in front of me accompanied by two gents, one of whom had a large TV camera. We spoke for a while about the place and its meaning and my discovery of Simpson’s grave. Regrettably when we came again to speak of the Ataturk address I lost it again for a few seconds. In the end she told me she was from Channel 10 Canberra. So I might have made the big time that night.

ConclusionI did not get down to the beach as it was off limits for tourists. It was my only regret on the day. I bought a Gallipoli hat and an Australian cotton top. Back to the bus and home to the ship very pleased that I had seen the Cove and the main fighting areas. The only downer were the trees which blocked the views. But even they had the right to grow.

About the Author John Bradbury joined the Army as a National Serviceman in 1958. On completion of initial training he was attached to 3 Field Ambulance. When National Service ended in 1961 he transferred to 3/9 South Australian Mounted Rifles where he became a Sergeant gunnery instructor. In civilian life he trained as an accountant and was accepted into the Australian Society of Accountants and qualified as a C.P.A. He finally retired from work (as a Forensic Accountant with the S.A. Police) in January 2006.

The stone tablet with the “You the Mothers” speech by Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk)

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BOOK REVIEW“MEMOIRS OF AN ANZAC” by John Charles Barrie

Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel John Boyce RFD (Retd)Defence Reserves Association - Victoria

There are many personal accounts about the experiences of junior infantry officers in WW1. What makes these memoirs different is that they are more forthright than most. They were only recently published by J C Barrie’s granddaughter, many years after his death in 1957, and are supported with extensively researched footnotes by Dr Ross McMullin (historian of wartime Australian society and a biographer of Pompey Elliott).Barrie trained in the pre-war militia, fought during the landing at Gallipoli and later served as a company commander on the Western Front. He seems to have been an efficient and effective officer, well-liked by his troops and proud of the mateship that evolved amongst those in the front line.Barrie’s opening chapter recounts some of his pre-war militia training, including the manner in which he was selected and commissioned. Militia training in the early nineteenth century comprised a weekly Company parade but also extensive Officer training on other nights and weekends (Monday drill, Friday musketry, some Sunday map reading and tactics). There was also a monthly lecture night for officers and the unit used the rifle range frequently on summer and autumn weekends. The regular Staff Officer cadre is praised here for their efficiency, keen-ness and willingness to give up their Sundays “or any other time that suited us for instruction”.

Interestingly, “our staff told us that with very little doubt we would be at war within five years”. Barrie credits this pre-war training for the initial high standard of the AIF’s 1st Australian Division in 1915, pointing out that it was almost entirely officered by those from the Militia. Barrie was a Melbourne bank clerk when war began and being a militia officer, he quickly joined the AIF’s 8th Infantry Battalion. He later served with 15 BDE. Barrie’s writing readily evokes the excitement of the troops’ voyage to Egypt and his encounters with a different world there, including his musings about the pyramids and his admiration for (some) of the locals and their ways. He landed at Gallipoli on 25 April and was badly wounded in the chest by shellfire later that same day. His first-hand account of the inadequate Allied medical evacuation plans is a highly critical one, although he praises the dedication of medical staff and the generosity of hospital visitors in England.After evacuation and hospitalization, Barrie had convalesced in England until he had sufficiently recovered to become a machine-gun instructor, but he found it nigh impossible to gain release to re-join his unit, now on the Western Front. Defiantly, he eventually absented himself and worked his way back through the system (often bending the rules to do so) until arriving at his battalion in time for the battle of Pozières.Later, he was at Ypres (near Hill 60) and at Bullecourt, giving vivid accounts of daily life in the trenches including dangerous tasks in no-man’s land and the frustration of being mortared (repeatedly) by their own Allied fire support. Barrie also recounts some amusing and some perplexing incidents when his unit was resting behind the lines or when he was granted leave. Another major wound at the Hindenburg Line in 1917 forced his evacuation and eventual repatriation to Australia. There Captain Barrie continued serving until war’s end, as OC at the Point Cook Aust Flying Corps Reinforcements Camp. Barrie writes in a relaxed style and with some humour, although at times he becomes a bit querulous about perceived injustices. He did not suffer fools gladly and is quite critical of a few of his colleagues and superiors, whilst nevertheless warmly praising others (including his old militia boss Pompey Elliott). Barrie recalls a few incidents on the Western Front that count against the likes of Brigadier Antill (of Gallipoli infamy). Barrie’s memoirs had deliberately left un-named some others, when recalling fraudulent misuse of the Q system, officers overdoing the reinforcement camp lifestyle, or a CO being sacked and sent back to Australia. However, these have actually been identified by McMullin’s editing, for good or ill.A brief Afterword by Barrie’s granddaughter explains how he re-adjusted to post-war life as a soldier settler in northern Victoria and later worked in Melbourne. Dutifully, he continued his military contribution by joining and eventually commanding the militia’s 20th Light Horse Regiment. When WW2 came, he worked as a Colonel with the Volunteer Defence Corps and on the Army Inspection Staff.These memoirs are an interesting and unusually forthright account of a junior infantry officer’s experiences in WW1, painting a vivid picture of life both in and out of The Line.

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BOOK REVIEW“PNGVR: A History 1950 - 1973” by Major Bob Harvey-Hall RFD ED (Retd)

Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel John Morkham RFD (Retd)Defence Reserves Association - Victoria

The Papua New Guinea Volunteer Rifles was the successor to the WWII New Guinea Volunteer Rifles Militia Battalion. It was the only post-WW II Citizen Military Force Battalion which: was formed, served and disbanded overseas; never served in Australia; was always on the Australian Army’s Order of Battle; and was always commandered by a Regular Army Officer. The PNGVR was formed in 1950 and in March 1951 began enlisting mostly WW II veterans. From 1964 the Battalion actively enlisted Papuan New Guineans along with Chinese and Malay residents to become a fully integrated unit comprising both Australian and non-Australians in all ranks. The PNGVR was disbanded in December 1973 when PNG achieved independence from Australia.The colourful story of this unique Australian Militia Battalion is told in a new history of the unit by Major Bob Harvey Hall RFD ED (Rtd) who was the second longest serving member of the PNGVR; serving from the unit’s earliest days until it was disbanded. His seven years of research have culminated in bringing together a wealth of material and data from this cosmopolitan CMF Infantry Battalion. The author acknowledges that the book is a collection of personal stories, unit and sub-unit histories and has been collated from a wealth of material brought together over the years. The book is the result of a great deal of work by many former members of the unit who submitted their recollections of their service with PNGVR.The history reveals how expatriates lived in PNG from the early 1950s, just after the war, and how the Battalion provided the initial defence of the country and assisted the re-establishment of the Pacific Islands Regiment (PIR). As the country’s development proceeded the Battalion’s role was

expanded and Papuan New Guineans were welcomed enlistments into the PNGVR community. It also tells, in intimate detail, of the years of struggle of an isolated CMF unit in dealing with tribal authorities, the Police force, local and national governments and the Australian Regular Army. It did so with distinction to become a major force along with the PIR to provide an initial defence capability.The role of the PNGVR was to maintain some 11 sub-units which provided an organisation for reporting military intelligence, acting as guides and interpreters, advising on local customs and assisting in the organisation and training of indigenous and irregular forces if required The PNGVR played an important role during the anxious time when the governing of West Papua was transferred from the Dutch to Indonesia. As PNG moved towards its own independence, it was decided there was no need for an Australian CMF unit to be based in PNG and the unit was disbanded. Many of the expatriate Australians remained in PNG after independence and further assisted in the development of the country. The bonds created by the unique experience of members of the PNGVR remains strong today and is exemplified whenever a group of former PNGVR soldiers meet.For those who have an interest in the growth of the Defence forces in Papua New Guinea this is a valuable document. Copies of the book can be obtained through the Secretary of the PNGVR Ex Members Association: (PO Box 885 Park Ridge Qld 4125 or via email [email protected]).

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OBITUARY Brigadier Keith Vincent Rossi AM OBE RFD ED (Retd)

Citizen Soldier - Veteran’s Advocate - Military Historian13 October 1921 — 20 January 2016

It is with much sadness that the Defence Reserves Association acknowledges the passing of BRIG Keith Vincent Rossi AM OBE RFD ED (Retd), on Wednesday 20 Jan 2016 at the Warringal Private Hospital, aged 94. Keith Rossi was a tireless advocate in relation to the duty and sacrifice of Australian Servicemen and Servicewomen, serving his mates and fellowman for nearly 79 years.Keith enlisted in the Militia in 1937 at age 15 (17 in his service record) joining the 57/60 Infantry Battalion and after a year decided Infantry wasn’t for him but obviously not too sure what corps suited him; transferring to the 3 DIV Engineers for more than a year then to Signals Southern Command for a similar period. He transferred to the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in March 1941 serving initially as a wireless operator. The next year saw him posted to 2 DIV Cavalry Training Depot, then as a reinforcement to 6 DIV Cavalry before trying the Artillery Training Regiment and the Signals Training Battalion.His operational service began with six months in Egypt during which time he joined 2/2 Australian Field Regiment, beginning a lifetime association with this Unit’s Association. He served briefly in Ceylon; New Guinea 1943/44 and finally in Morotai and Borneo. During this latter period he served with a range of Naval

Bombardment units. Keith took his discharge from the AIF in March 1946.Two and a half years later, Keith joined the Citizen Military Forces (CMF) on its formation in 1948. The true Gunner emerged during his CMF service: commencing with 2 FD REGT RAA for some six years. With promotion and postings he also served with 15 LT REGT RAA for more than two years then back to 2 FD for a year where, on promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, he was transferred to Signals Corps as Commanding Officer (CO) of 3 DIV Signals Unit for four years; probably assisted by the fact that he was a senior engineer with the Postmaster Generals Department (PMG). This was followed by two years as Staff Officer 1 on HQ 3 DIV, a further two years as CO of 15 FD REGT, then another two years as CO of 2 FD REGT, followed by a further two years as CO of the Officer Cadet Training Unit (OCTU).Keith was selected for the South Vietnam “environmental” tour in February 1970 and detached to 1 FD REGT RAA. His final posting and promotion to Colonel then Brigadier from 1971 to 1976 was as Commander Royal Australian Artillery. Retirement came on 13 October 1976!Keith’s service to the Returned & Services League of Australia (RSL) for 73 of his nearly 94 years is quite extraordinary! He joined as a member in 1943 (while still in the AIF until 1946), serving in various Sub-Branches for 45 years including Office Bearer roles until elected to the RSL’s Victoria State Branch Executive in 1988 where he remained an executive member for 24 years, including as a State Vice and later Senior Vice President until he retired again in 2012.From 1986 onwards Keith served on the RSL Staff at ANZAC House as a full time honorary volunteer on many committees and as the RSL’s representative on a range of other organisations, however it was his role as the RSL’s historian that he is most remembered for and particularly for the forthright advice he provided. His wealth of Military history knowledge and sharp, sometimes acerbic mind provided direct and insightful advice for which he attracted legend status.Keith also mentored many young officers and men through their CMF and Army Reserve service. Those who received his robust advice knew where they stood and respected him for his frankness which more often than not was warranted.Keith Rossi was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1964 for his CMF service, and further recognised with a much deserved Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his service to Veterans and their families.We have lost a great man, a soldier’s soldier, a fervent veteran, an acknowledged military historian, who devoted his whole life to the service of his nation and fellow man.May he rest in peace - Lest We Forget.

(Photo courtesy of LTCOL Robert Sealy (Retd))

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NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2015 PRESENTATION THE ADF TOTAL FORCE: FACT OR FICTION

The Government ViewPresented by Senator David Fawcett

Introduction

Good morning. I’d like to acknowledge his Excellency the Governor of New South Wales, Mr David Feeney MP and Major-General Paul Irving.

The title for this Defence Reserves Association Conference is: The ADF total force - fact or fiction? In addressing you today, I’d invite you to consider whether this is truly a binary definition or is it in fact an evolving reality?

My lived experience in Defence says that it’s an evolving reality. I go back to my 22 years in the Regular Army when everyone had an expectation of a continuous career in the Defence Force. If you left, that was essentially the end of your contribution and you made a new career elsewhere and re-entry was very rare - in fact almost unheard of. The first time I became aware that Reservists could add value (as opposed to being just a weekend warrior) was when the 1st Aviation Regiment ran the very first night vision goggle course in 1987 in Oakey, Queensland. CAPT David Allen who

had been a Regular Army pilot but was now flying for the Civil Aviation Authority, came as an instructor to help run that first course. Over that two week period, I came to appreciate the fact that Reservists can bring skills and experience, and indeed capacity, to functions of the regular forces that the regular forces were unable to provide themselves.

Later in my career as the Commanding Officer of the RAAF Aircraft Research and Development Unit, I found myself with Operations staff who were a mixture of permanent Air Force, Reservists on continuous full-time service as well as part-time Reservists. I had training staff, range staff at Woomera, as well as test aircrew who were members of the Reserve. A good example of the kind of value-add was a Qantas pilot who had previously trained as an F111 test pilot who was released by Qantas for periods of up to 3 months to come back to help conduct flight trials.

After my 22 years of full-time service, I ended up providing three years of active Reserve service conducting hands-on test and evaluation, providing mentoring and test supervision in a “grey beard role”, as well as helping with the development of policy.

In my role now as the Chair of the Defence Sub-Committee of the Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade, I have the opportunity to witness the increasing integration of Reserve forces in almost every aspect of ADF activity. When visiting the Special Air Service Regiment in the west, I see the extensive role played by Reservists in helping with the raise, train and sustain functions for the Regiment. In the recent TALISMAN SABRE exercise, I saw the crucial enabling functions fulfilled by Reservists in the logistics, coordination and medical fields, with entire units achieving certification during their participation in this activity.

As a look back over nearly 30 years of involvement with this strong Defence Force, I come to the conclusion that the ADF total force is an evolving reality with Reservists playing an increasingly important role of providing ADF capability locally, nationally and on overseas deployments.

In terms of today’s topic, I can’t dictate how you will perceive fact or fiction, but what I plan to do now is to outline the context in which Reserves are currently operating and outline some of the directions of change that the government is looking to support. I will cover some of the facts and figures of Reserve service; the budget and White Paper context; the policy intent with respect to Reserves; and look at the relationship not only of the Reservists but also their employers and families.

Facts and figures

Firstly to facts and figures. We currently have over 47,900 Australians serving in the ADF Reserves. Of these, 22,400 Reservists actively participate with most serving more than 20 days per year. In many cases they bring areas of competence to the ADF that regular forces either do not have or do not have in sufficient quantity. Of note there have been more than 12,000 operational deployments of Reservists to various operations spanning from the Middle East to the Solomon Islands and Timor Leste.

The service provided by Reservists is significant. At the lower end of the capability spectrum, in regional areas Reservists are likely to be the first responders in providing Defence aid to the civil community. In Northern Australia, three Reserve Regional force Surveillance Units provide security and surveillance presence. INTERFET and RAMSI saw both Reserve forces embedded with regular units and in some cases deployments that were based on a Reserve unit. Operation Sovereign Borders saw Reservists as relief crew members on patrol boats as well as providing the transit security element on warships. Across nearly every activity of the ADF we see Reservists providing specialist skills, particularly in the medical field but also in logistics and maintenance.

Increasingly, Australia draws on the skills, expertise and qualifications of Reservists to:

• contribute to niche or specialist capabilities not held in the permanent force;

• supplement the permanent force on operations;

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• assist in the raise, train and sustain cycle; and

• provide the traditional concept of a surge capability, assisting in the event of a large-scale defence emergency.

In summary my observation is that with the current force structure, Australia cannot sustain operations without Reservists. By design or happenstance, the ADF total force is an evolving reality.

Defence White Paper and budget

Looking ahead I’d like to address a few comments about the Defence White Paper and budget. As Australia considers its strategic need for a Defence Force to generate national-security effects, the resulting force structure and Defence Capability Plan has to be linked with funding. It is always important to remember that “vision without funding is hallucination”.

The White Paper will outline the medium and long-term defence strategy guiding the development of Australia’s defence capability over the coming decade including Reserve forces. With commitments in Iraq and Syria dealing with Islamic state, ongoing support Afghanistan, to peacekeeping operations in Sudan and other regions of the world, there is no expectation of a decrease in requirement for an effective flexible military force. Add to those overseas considerations, the National Task and ongoing training for conventional operations, and the role of Reservist is not likely to diminish any time soon.

The White Paper is expected to be released in October and the accompanying Force Structure Review will be fully costed – a stark contrast to 2009. As highlighted in the 2015/16 budget, the Coalition is on track to achieve a Defence spend of two percent of GDP within a decade. This means some $31.9 billion in financial year 2015/16 and more than $132 billion over the forward estimates. Since its election, the Coalition has spent more than $25 billion on Defence capability projects as well as quantifying the expected spend ($89 billion) for the offshore patrol vessel, future frigate and future submarine. The announcement regarding the offshore patrol vessels and the future frigates also included the historic announcement of a change in procurement approach leading to a continuous build of naval vessels. This puts substance around the First Principles Review recommendation that defence industry be treated as a fundamental input to capability whereby Defence and Government have an interest in ensuring that key areas of industry are sustainable and effective. Importantly the Coalition has also restored funding to support the force-in-being dealing with cost growth pressures affecting materiel and infrastructure sustainment activities.

Bi-partisan Defence planning

I should note at this point in time that my personal view is that Australia needs to move towards a long-term bi-partisan Defence planning process. I welcome the interest that Mr Feeney has shown in this concept and note the efficiencies that the Danish Government have achieved by going down the path of providing certainty to their Defence Force and defence industry by having an agreed plan around capability development, force structure and basing which is renewed on a five yearly basis.

In terms of budget measures that are specific to the Reserves, I note the $20 million increase in Reservists’ salaries from over $177 million in financial year 12/13 to over $197 million in financial year 14/15. This amount excludes continuous full-time service. The planned increase in the salaries in financial year 15/16 is to $210 million, being comprised 60% Army, 25% Air Force and 15% Navy.

Reservist remuneration

There has also been considerable work continuing this year to follow on from the Reservist remuneration reforms which were announced in June last year. These measures reflect the reality of skills and qualifications brought to ADF capability by Reservists. One example is the increase in Reservists allowance from 37% to 75% of service allowance. The eligibility for Reservists to obtain separation allowance has also been aligned with that of permanent members.

In December last year the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal agreed to repeal the discounted rates of pay for Reserve officers. From April this year all Reserve officers are paid at a daily rate which is applicable to their rank pay group and increment. The last remaining discount pay rates Reservists was also removed in July this year with discounted pay rates Reserve trainees being discontinued. That means that from July this year Reservists have the same salary increment structure as the permanent force. The new criteria for increment progression is 20 effective days in the 12 month period to advance instead of the normal two-year wait.

Finally a few related measures such as the Gap Year. The Coalition has been a strong advocate of the ADF Gap Year program and in the financial year 14/15 Budget, over $191 million was allocated to this program over the period of the forward estimates. Army is planning to link the full time Army Reserve officer component to the program from December this year to help address the long-standing issues affecting recruitment training retention of Army Reserve officers.

Project SUAKIN

I’d like to move on to discuss a couple of areas of policy intent. Firstly the Government’s intent is to optimise capability through flexible service which leads to Project SUAKIN. I acknowledge Mr Feeney’s role in the early days of the development of the total workforce model for the ADF. This model will involve the perception of service for both permanent members and Reservists.

The total workforce model is a response to changing reality:

• the expectations of permanent members with respect to create options and work-life balance;

• the changing demographic of Reservists. For example, of approximately 8000 Navy Reservists, around 4,500 are active with 3,500 standby Reservists. Over 93 percent of these have had a previous career in the permanent Navy.

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As we consider the changing expectations of Regular servicemen and women in the changing demographic of Reservists, it is easy to see that the line between a permanent member who works part-time and a fully qualified Reserve member who works part-time, is increasingly blurred.

The total workforce model means that the ADF employment often is greatly enhanced through the ability to offer flexible service arrangements. This will assist in retaining experienced men and women with capabilities which are in demand by enabling them to move across a spectrum of full-time and part-time work arrangements as their circumstances change. It will also provide opportunities to engage and motivate the Reservist workforce through enhanced opportunities to contribute and clearer commitments to specify patterns of service. Put simply, more part-time positions in the permanent force mean more opportunities for predictable Reserve service.

The ADF is refining career management strategies to support flexible service arrangements which enable ADF members to serve in other than a full-time capacity to build their skills and experience and pursue personal career opportunities. Just last week legislation was passed regarding superannuation which recognises the need for this flexibility. The total workforce model is also supported by investment in enablers such as ForceNet, an IT portal which can be accessed from non-defence equipment anywhere the Internet is available. ForceNet is a paradigm shift for the Reserve, increasing communication, improving administration and assisting with timely access to alternative career solutions.

So the change that has been under way for many years is now starting to be coordinated and bedded in the services. For the Army Reservists, there has been significant modernisation as part of Plan BEERSHEBA, clarifying roles tasks and structures of the Army Reserve. Over time this will better align its capability outputs with those required by Army. Similarly the contribution of Air Force Reservists will continue to evolve as an increasingly important capability enabler through the total workforce model under Plan JERICHO for the future Air Force. Navy has also commenced to critically examine the factors underpinning generation management of the capability inherent in its Reserve workforce. This review has the potential to radically change the look and shape of the Navy and I’m sure that Commodore Bruce Kafer’s presentation later this afternoon will provide more detail.

Employers and families

Lastly, I’d like to talk a little about employers and families. Reserve service is available to the nation but Defence is not the only one to pay- the service comes at a cost to both employers and families.

True, employers do benefit from the increased competence of their staff but they also face disruption in the workplace and the additional costs associated with replacement staff and training. The Defence Reserve Support Council of Australia plays an important role in increasing understanding and support in this space. The Employer Support Payment Scheme (ESPS) provides financial assistance to eligible employers to help offset the cost of releasing employees in most categories of ADF service. ESPS payments in financial year 13/14 were over $13 million of which almost 33% was for service rendered by Reservists on operations. These claims were made by 585 employers and 257 self-employed Reservists. I recognise that Mr Feeney has expressed some concerns in the past regarding self-employed Reservists, but I should point out that many ex-permanent members with specialised skills and experience work in consulting roles, often self-employed, after their full-time service. Like any business, a key to long term success is continuity in the market so it is important to make it attractive for them to leave the commercial contracting market by enabling self-employed Reservists to make claims under ESPS.

The ESPS has proven a crucial enabler in providing critical health capabilities and over $5 million in these payments during the financial year 13/14 related to service by Reserve health professionals. The scheme remains a fundamental enabler to our ongoing Reserve capability and last year Minister Robert announced a continuation of financial support to employers of Reserve personnel and to self-employed Reservists.

Just like anyone in the workforce, Reservists have to consider their work family balance. For them the task of managing this is made even more difficult by absences for both training and deployment associated with Reserve duty. The frequent nature of deployment means Reservists need the same kind of support as permanent members with respect to their own health and well-being and that of their families. For that reason the government is continuing with the pilot of the Reserve Assistance Program (RAP). This program provides eligible Reservists and their families with access to mental health and well-being support which is concurrent with that available to members of the permanent ADF.

Conclusion

So in conclusion to come back to the title of this conference; ADF total force – fact or fiction? I’ll let you decide. The strategic need, Defence capability, changing demographics and career expectations means that the role for Reservists is unlikely to diminish. A fully funded White Paper that enables support for the force-in-being as well as facilitating capability development will create new opportunities for Reserve service along with policy decisions to fund the enablers such as the ESPS and Gap Year programs to help attract and retain quality people into Reserve career streams. Policy directions such as SUAKIN are creating workplace where it will be increasingly difficult to distinguish people who contribute into capability on a part-time basis whether they be permanent or Reservists. The government remains fully committed in its support of Reservists and the civilian employers of Reservists as well improving the support we provide to members and their families.

I remain confident in the ability of ADF people no matter which employment model they choose to serve under and am proud of their many continued achievements in support of operations and contingencies worldwide. To those of you who are serving, to those who are supporting or enabling this service to the nation - thank you.

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NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2015 PRESENTATION THE ADF TOTAL FORCE: FACT OR FICTION

The Opposition ViewDavid Feeney MP

Shadow Assistant Minister For Defence and Veterans’ AffairsIntroduction Can I acknowledge MAJGEN Irving and thank him and the DRA very much for the invitation to address this Conference today. Can I also acknowledge my Parliamentary colleague, Senator David Fawcett, representing Minister Stuart Robert, and GEN Crackett, it is terrific to have you here in Australia to share your insights from the UK. This is my sixth appearance at a DRA National Conference, and, as ever, I welcome the opportunity to make a contribution to the conversation about ADF Reserves, and, in particular, the subject of this Conference; how our ADF Reserves continue to be integrated into the Total Force.In the 3 years in which I had the privilege to serve as Parliamentary Secretary for Defence I believe much was achieved in Army Reserve. Significant initiatives relevant

to today’s topic included Plan BEERSHEBA, and its impacts on Army Reserve and the work of the 2nd Division, and Plan SUAKIN, and its aim in integrating service conditions between all ADF members, and indeed all those working in the Defence organisation.In 2000 a Parliamentary Inquiry found that the “parlous state” of the Army Reserve was the single greatest concern for the Committee during its inquiry into the Army. Happily, much has changed since then. Today the Army Reserve has been clearly ‘re-rolled’ from being a strategic Reserve to an operational Reserve. During the years of the Rudd-Gillard Governments the Army Reserve consumed roughly 20% of the Army budget, and was deploying almost 1,000 people a year – as formed units and individuals – on operations in Solomon Islands, East Timor and Afghanistan. Today’s Army Reserve possesses a level of experience in terms of generating soldiers and undertaking force preparation for ADF operations that is unprecedented since the end of WWII.

Plan SUAKINProject SUAKIN was an initiative of the former Labor Government which I launched in August 2011 in my role as Parliamentary Secretary for Defence. It began its life as a reasonably modest project, tasked with enhancing the Reserve Employment Model and the integration of ADF Reserves with the Total Force, particularly within the Army. MAJGEN Brereton, who is with us today, was in many respects the father of this project in his then role as head of CRES-D.However, the scope of this project grew very quickly, bolstered by the steadily rising enthusiasm of Service Chiefs, and with solid support from the Labor Government of the day. Soon, Plan SUAKIN came to encompass the whole of the Defence Organisation, including ADF permanent members and the public service. The aim of this project expanded too: ‘to modernise the whole Defence workforce environment to reflect the evolving realities and priorities of a more mobile workforce in a way that facilitated member retention, increased female workforce participation and gave Australia the most effective defence force possible’.This was a long term investment in our defence personnel and our defence force capabilities. In 2011 more than 10,000 ADF members, both permanent force members and reservists, provided input into the project through a survey that looked at their priorities and career requirement.In conjunction with other research this survey confirmed that the face of the ADF was changing, as were its workplace requirements. It revealed that our reservists wanted increased opportunities and better career management as well as predictable work patterns.Meanwhile our permanent force members were increasingly looking for greater flexibility and a wider range of service options that more accurately reflected their changing circumstances.It was also clear that for many, service with the ADF was no longer a lifelong career as periods of service were shorter, often much shorter than the average terms people spend with the public service. There is also greater fluidity with many members moving in and out of the defence force or across service streams more than once during their careers.So as Project SUAKIN rolled out it aimed to remove the barriers, both legal and administrative, that limited flexibility

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in the ADF workforce environment and in doing so provide a full spectrum of service options from full time to part time for our ADF members.For example, when an ADF member becomes a new parent or they take on the responsibility of an aging parent their circumstances and ability to work will inevitably be effected. We do not want to permanently loose this talent, just because we cannot provide them with the flexibility they need.We also want to encourage greater female workforce participation by facilitating an environment where women can have long and satisfying careers in our defence forces regardless of whether or not they decide to have a family.And so Labor’s Project SUAKIN set out to transform, over the long term, the workforce environment that these personnel operated in. Today, Plan SUAKIN is closer to fruition with the passage of the ADF Superannuation Bill, the ADF Cover Bill and the Australian Defence Legislation Amendment (Superannuation and ADF Cover) Bill.I knew, when Minister Stuart Robert had the temerity to “launch” Plan SUAKIN in November 2013 (more than 2 years after it had started!), that the Abbott Government’s enthusiasm for claiming ownership, and its failure to even change the project’s name when relaunching it, was a sure sign that Plan SUAKIN would enjoy a strong and bipartisan future!

Plan BEERSHEBA (PB) We meet today in the shadow of an imminent Defence White Paper. What will it say about ADF Reserves? Well of course we don’t know, but there are several important issues that merit consideration.Adopted in 2011, Plan BEERSHEBA represented a significant evolution of the Army Reserve as an operational reserve. The plan meant a Total Force, with the integration of FT and PT elementsThe six brigades of 2 DIV, with some 11,000 of the 17,000 active Reservists (and some 900 Regulars) in Army, would henceforth have a habitual relationship with the three Regular Brigades (1, 3, 7). Also the three year Force Generation Cycle of the Army Brigades is now the same for the 2 DIV Brigades. The capability requirement of Army Reserve is now precisely defined. Army Reserve must now stand up a Ready and Deployable military capability every single year: a Battle Group Plus.Most members of the Army Reserve, found in 2 DIV, are now working in an environment dominated by the 3 year Force Generation Cycle dictated by Plan BEERSHEBA. One year in every 3, members of 2 DIV will now be working in units that are generating “ready” soldiers. Last year, I spoke to you about Plan BEERSHEBA, and some of its key elements and challenges. Later on today I look forward to hearing from some of the other speakers as to the progress being made.Some of the key issues that I would invite the DRA to pursue include:

How are incentive schemes (such as the High Readiness Reserve contracts and the Employer Support Payments Scheme) that are intended to improve Reserve readiness working to support Plan BEERSHEBA?Is the habitual relationship between the three Light Manoeuvre Brigades (LMB) and their component elements generated by 2 DIV succeeding?

Members of the Army Reserve cannot now train and exercise at a steady rate, year in and year out. Instead, Reservists must be on a three-year pathway, designed to ensure that that Reservist is a deployable “ready” soldier in the third year. In order to secure the training, proficiency and equipment to be “ready”, Army Reserve must now deliver a training continuum to at least 1,200 reservists per annum sufficient to see them be able to pass a force preparation process (overseen by 1 DIV) and certified (by JOC) for operations.This is a realistic objective, when one considers the fact that between 1999 and 2014 the ADF Reserve deployed some 12,000 people, generating up to 1,000 officers and soldiers a year to serve overseas on ADF operations. This included significant individual and collective deployments to Afghanistan, East Timor, Solomon Islands and elsewhere. Of course what this means is that todays’ Army Reserve owns a level of experience in terms of generating soldiers for ADF operations that is unprecedented since the end of WWII. Plan BEERSHEBA ultimately aims to harness this experience of operations, and embed it the permanent structure and activity of 2 DIV. To add to this challenge, components of the Battle Group Plus generated by Army Reserve include specialists, who will require a special training focus. The cavalry force elements of 2 DIV must now be proficient in operating and sustaining PMVs, specifically Bushmasters. The plan of the former Labor Government to roll out Bushmasters to the cavalry of 2 DIV is a critical test for Plan BEERSHEBA; it is emblematic of the reality that Army Reserve is delivering a ready and deployable capability every year.So too, with other specialist elements, including mortars, providing in-direct fires (IDF) for the Battle Group Plus. It is critical that signals units be proficient in the digital communications of the contemporary Army, which means being equipped with the modern Battle Management System (BMS). The restructure of Reserve Engineer Capabilities (with 1 CER HQ in each ARes BDE) must succeed; experience tells us that light infantry require sophisticated engineering capabilities in the contemporary battle space, even for stability operations.

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The desired end state for Plan BEERSHEBA and the work of 2 DIV is that every year Army Reserve is able to stand up a Battle Group Plus – some 1,200 soldiers – that is ready, deployable and enjoys the confidence of its commanders. In peacetime the capability is demonstrated and exercised at major events such as TALISMAN SABRE and HAMEL. The “ready” year is one in which 1,200 Reservists are busy demonstrating foundation warfighting skills and engaging in collective training. 2 DIV and the Reservists in the “ready” Battle Group Plus must be completely familiar with their concept of operations and working as a part of the ready Regular Manoeuvre Brigade.Future: Army Reserve – an Operational ReserveAs Plan BEERSHEBA is implemented and consolidated, our task is to now conceive how the evolution towards Total Force should continue. Today I would like to suggest some concepts that we should explore to build on the work and vision set out in Plan BEERSHEBA.How can Army Reserve be even better organised and better aligned towards the goal of generating every year a “Ready” Battle Group Plus? Being mindful that this Battle Group is an all-arms construct, comprising a BG/Battalion HQ, 3 companies of Light Infantry, and key enablers such as signals, engineers, CS, mortars and protected lift (PMV Bushmasters and PMV Hawkei), it must impose new and significant training burdens on Army Reserve. The Battle Group Plus must be completely interoperable with BIG Army, ADF and key allies, and all up it numbers some 1,200 officers and men.The Operating concept for this Battle Group is rear areas security, asset protection and stability operations in support of the “Ready” Brigade. The evolution of Army Reserve towards a force able to provide military response options to short-notice contingencies (rather than a militia designed for mass mobilisation) must continue.From the strategic guidance asserting that Army Reserve is an operational Reserve (and the Stand-by Reserve is our national strategic reserve), important implications flow. The force structure and posture of Army Reserve & 2 DIV must become smaller and more active (i.e. more training days for fewer reservists to attain higher levels of capability). We must continue towards a unified and integrated force structure (i.e. 3 high readiness battle groups established and manned to 150% or even 200% of establishment), structurally embedded within parent multi-role combat brigades.The Army Reserve must confront the challenge of a withering and poorly situated estate. The legacy estate, largely from 1945, presents at least two serious deficiencies. Firstly, it isn’t where we need it. Large swathes of metropolitan and regional Australia have no Army Reserve presence because they have arisen since 1945. Secondly, the estate that we do possess is old, often poorly maintained and often under-utilised. Is Defence going to spend the hundreds of millions required to build a reserve estate footprint aligned to the modern Australian population density? No. Is Defence going to spend the hundreds of millions required to upgrade the existing estate? No. So what is to be done?With 235 facilities across Australia valued at approximately $1.7 billion, together we should explore new modes of organisation. Would we be better served by consolidating the estate to far fewer facilities, but facilities that were much larger, state-of-the-art, and collocated at our existing ADF “super” bases, such as found in Darwin, Townsville, Enoggera, and so forth? This concept would mean that Army Reserve officers and soldiers would be organised to train in a fly-in/fly-out pattern, working with equipment and infrastructure approach?This concept would need to be underpinned by a commitment to more individual and collective training. The training continuum needs a serious review and investment, so that Army Reserve is producing enough officers and is delivering enough collective training to support the ambition of manning a “Ready” Battle Group Plus every single year.This is why it is timely for us to deliberate on whether existing HRR contracts and schemes like Employer Support Payment Scheme (ESPS) can be better targeted to achieve our training and readiness goals.Perhaps the ADF Gap Year program can be recalibrated. This program means that some 800-1000 young Australians spend 12 months with the Australian Army. Those participants who decide not to seek a career in the ADF should be encouraged to fill the ranks of Army Reserve. Twelve months of training for a cohort of this size could mean an important annual addition to the ranks of Army Reserve.

ConclusionThe ADF Reserve continues to offer to the ADF the capacity to deliver key capabilities. This is well understood, for instance, in the case of medical skills, which can be best nurtured and sustained in the civilian domain, but can be mobilised through ADF Reserves to provide an absolutely vital capability. I believe this is also true for emerging requirements, such as Cyber. The increasingly important Cyber domain is a capability where ADF Reserves are well placed to generate the forces required. Cyber skills, nested across a miscellany of Australian security and police agencies, civilian businesses and even lounge rooms, could well be mobilised through ADF Reserves. Army Reserve must remain a priority for Defence policy makers – and under Labor I’ll make sure it does.

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Documents

THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST - DRAdra.org.au/371/images/DRA-201604-ReservistApr.pdfTHE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST 1 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST - April 2016 (Official Journal of the Defence Reserves